


Darth Mom

by SuperfriendlyFox



Series: Lillian is a Good Mom [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Big Sister Alex Danvers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Humor, Identity Reveal, Light Angst, Memory Loss, Mommy Issues, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Sexual Situations, SuperCorp, eventual Superfriends, if you're looking for real BDSM this isn't it, super light BDSM for humor and plot purposes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:31:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperfriendlyFox/pseuds/SuperfriendlyFox
Summary: Lillian suffers from amnesia and is good to Lena. Lena agonizes-- for a good, solid minute-- over whether to turn in her escaped-felon mom or enjoy her love and attention for the first time. Things get complicated when Lena starts dating Kara.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something with Lillian being a good mother to Lena, and the amnesia trope promised fun times. I didn’t expect serious feelings to surface as well.
> 
> Takes as its starting point Lex’s lair in 'Luthors' and diverges from canon immediately after.
> 
> Mon-El doesn’t exist, because life is unpleasant enough already.
> 
> Supergirl makes a brief appearance in Chapt 1. Kara comes on the scene in Chapt 2, the Superfriends in Chapt 3.

She’s so quick. Lillian can only stare in disbelief as two heads crash together. As two cyborgs go down.

“Surprised, Mom? That I’m a Luthor after all?”

Lillian comes out of her shock and starts to craft a cutting barb-- but not before Lena grabs Lex’s latest death toy out of her hands and _BANG!s_ her over the head.

Lillian goes down in a crumpled, satisfying heap. Lena grins. _So sorry, Mom._

Three unconscious bodies. Lena scours the warehouse for rope. She finds enough for... two.

Lena is just finishing tying up the second of Lillian’s goons, when her mother stirs and groans. Lena frantically reaches for the metal thingamabob.

But Lillian merely gazes around the warehouse, a blank expression on her face.

“Where am I? ... _Who_ am I?” She looks at Lena like she’s never seen her before. “Who are _you?”_

Lena rolls her eyes. _As if I’m that dumb._ “Nice try, Mom.”

“You’re my _daughter?”_ Lillian’s eyes narrow. “How is that possible?”

Lena snorts. _She can’t even resist insulting me long enough to feign amnesia. ‘You’re not smart enough to be my daughter. Your fashion sense is terrible. You’re too fat to--’_

“You’re so thin. Did I not teach you how to cook nutritious meals? Did I not bring you up to take care of yourself properly?”

It’s Lena’s turn to stare in disbelief.

Lillian gasps. “You’re sick, aren’t you? You’re ill and can’t hold food down.” She wrings her hands. “How terribly awful! How long have the doctors given you?”

“I’m fine, Mom. I’m just... too busy to eat much of the time.” _What is happening?_

“We must rectify this at once. Take me directly to your place, I must have a look at your kitchen so we can strategize how to nourish you better.”

_Who are you and what have you done with my mother? ... On second thought... Keep her. And don’t try to give her back._

Lillian places a hand against her throbbing head. Suddenly she gets a look at Metallo and Henshaw. “Who are these fellows? And why are they tied up?”

“They kidnapped m-- _us.”_

“Whatever for?”

Lena looks at the kryptonite in Metallo’s chest, which looks like it’s going to _go off._ Supergirl will know what to do.

“You... I’ll explain on the way. Right now we need to get a move on.”

“Of course, you must be famished.” Lillian looks around, bewildered. “Where is my purse? Didn’t I bring a purse to... wherever we are. I’m sure I brought snacks.”

Lena must be hallucinating. Or having the strangest, most wonderful dream ever. Her mom. Being nice to her. Offering her snacks! Not that she could take her up on that, not everyone has the metabolism of a certain lovely, sexy, mild-mannered reporter.

_Well, whatever’s going on, right now Lillian seems to pose no threat. Except, perhaps, to my waistline..._

*****

Lena pulls away from a McDonald’s drive-thru, a salad on her lap. Lillian rides shotgun, clutching an extra-large order of fries. Metallo and Henshaw lie trussed up and unconscious in the back of the van.

“Your name is Lillian Luthor. And mine is Lena.” Lena feels like the protagonist in a science fiction novel. A very cheesy science fiction novel.

“What a lovely name. Was it my idea to call you that or your father’s?”

“Actually, I’m adopted. My real mother died when I was four, and you and Dad took me in.”

Lillian smiles warmly. “Well, that explains how beautiful you are.”

Lena can’t help but blush and giggle. The beautiful protagonist of a cheesy science fiction novel.

“Granted, I haven’t yet had the chance to look in a mirror, but the woman who brought you into this world must have been one in a million.”

Lena’s smile is wide enough to break her face. She absentmindedly spears a tomato with her plastic fork. She’s just going to enjoy the moment, however surreal--

“Lena dear, you won’t put on any weight eating leaves and cucumbers. Here--” Lillian holds a french fry to Lena’s face. Lena pushes her hand away. _What the fuck. Even science fiction novel antagonist Lillian Luthor is trying to micromanage my weight._

A sound from the back of the van makes Lena glance behind her. Metallo is slowly regaining awareness. And _what is up_ with his heart?

“Mother. I need you to take the wheel a moment.”

Lillian reaches over and steadies the wheel. Her eyes grow wide as Lena grabs Lex’s mystery contraption and bops Metallo on the noggin. He slumps back into dreamland.

“Lena! Whatever did you do that for? The poor man is restrained.”

“Mother, he... I can’t have either of those two seeing you.”

“Whyever not?”

Lena re-takes the wheel. Lillian offers her another fry.

“Because, well... If they see you they’ll tell the police, and... I have to hide you. At least for a little while.”

“Hide me? Whatever for?”

“You were... not the nicest person, let’s just say that.”

Lillian scoffs. “Well they don’t put people in jail for that, do they?” She waves the fry in the air like she’s holding a PowerPoint presentation. “What terrible things did I do? Write bad checks? Verbally abuse telemarketers? Park in a handicapped spot?”

“You tried to wipe out the entire alien population of National City.”

Lillian laughs.

Lena sighs. _Even the best actresses break._

“Be serious, dear. What did your dear old mother do?”

“I _am_ serious. You stole a bionic weapon and tried to utilize it against all alien life in National City.”

“Lena, darling, I see you fancy yourself something of a comedienne, but trust me, you don’t have the edge for it. Comedy requires at least a slight willingness to inflict suffering. _And_ your timing needs work.”

“Riiight.”

“Now honestly. Did I cheat on my taxes? Change my mind on items at Bed Bath & Beyond and not put them back where I found them? Open a fire hydrant during summer and leap through the spray in narcissistic glee?”

Lena side-eyes this strange woman, who clearly... would have been a lot of fun to grow up with.

“You’ve got me. I’m totally joking. But someone _did_ try to murder all the aliens in the city and framed you for it. I need to hide you until I can prove your innocence.”

“Framed _me?_ Why?” She holds another french fry up to Lena’s mouth. “Open up, Lena dear. You’re wasting away.”

Lena sighs and parts her lips, allowing Lillian to push in a fry. She chews, feeling like a baby bird being fed a regurgitated worm.

Suddenly, there’s a blur of red and blue up ahead, oncoming. Supergirl!

Lena has to make an instant decision.

An easy decision.

“Mother. Will you please trust me? Do what I say, and don’t ask questions?”

Lillian sees the urgent look on Lena’s face. “Of course, Lena dear. Anything.”

“I need you to hide under that tarp in the back. Don’t move, and don’t make any noise.”

“Lena, I don’t understand--”

‘Mother! Do as I say. Now!”

Lillian looks at her daughter with surprise. But the pleading look in Lena’s eyes overrides her confusion.

“Of course. I’ll do it right now.” She gets up and moves to the back of the van.

Just as Lena slams on the brakes to avoid hitting Supergirl, who is suddenly standing in the middle of the road, hands on her hips.

Lena can hear Lillian fall due to the sudden stop, and hopes she’s not hurt. At least, not so bad that she hasn’t managed to hide under the tarp.

Supergirl yanks open Lena’s door.

“Supergirl!”

Supergirl clambers over Lena-- “Miss Luthor, excuse me, urgh, I’m sorry” --moving toward the kryptonite. “Metallo-- his heart is gonna blow.”

Supergirl grabs Metallo. Lena watches her do a 360, then pull open the rear door and jump out of the van with him. “There’s too many people around, I’ve got to fly him where he won’t hurt anyone. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Lena nods frantically, and watches Supergirl launch into the air with Metallo. Lena wastes no time scampering to the back of the van and dragging the tarp off Lillian. “Mom, listen to me. We passed a motel about a mile back.”

She moves to the front seat, yanks open the glove compartment, and pulls out Lillian’s pocketbook. “I need you to go back there and get yourself a room.” She hurriedly counts the bills inside-- there’s not enough-- then checks the name on the credit card. “Zelda... Barbarella? Honestly, Mother, couldn’t you come up with a more realistic sounding alias?”

“I have no idea what’s happening.”

Lena shuts the pocketbook and shoves it into her mother’s hand. “Your name is Zelda Barbarella.” _Until I can change it to something less... busty._ “You’re going to run back to the motel, get yourself a room, and wait for me. I’ll be back to get you as soon as I can. Don’t make unnecessary small talk with anyone.”

“Darling, I don’t understand the reason for any of this. Can’t we just go to the proper authorities? I’m sure I have an alibi.”

 _Not a good one._ “Mom, I promise I’ll explain everything later. Please, do as I say. We don’t have much time.”

She looks out the windshield-- just as a flash of green light illuminates the sky with an accompanying _BOOM!_ \-- then back at Lillian. “Please Mom, I need you to leave right now.”

Lillian looks at Lena’s panicked face. “All right, dear. I’ll wait for you.” She hesitates, then softly touches Lena’s cheek. “Don’t worry, darling. Everything will be fine.”

Lena can’t help but return this warm woman’s smile, even though she can’t possibly fathom how any of this is going to turn out well.

Lillian withdraws her hand and opens the passenger side door. She starts to exit, when Lena notices the french fries still sitting on the front seat. “Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

She motions toward the seat. “You should take those with you.” _In case Supergirl suspects I don’t eat fries._

Lillian takes hold of the fries and gives Lena a final smile before stepping out of the van. “We’ll discuss food later.”

 _“Run,_ Mom.”

Lena watches Lillian run away from the van like a gazelle from a tiger. _Is there_ anything _that woman does inelegantly?_ She turns in time to see Supergirl whoosh back in front of the driver’s side door. “Supergirl! I--”

“Miss Luthor," declares Supergirl, reassurance, and... _kindness?_ ...in her eyes. "We know you’re innocent.”

“How? What happened? How did you know where to find me?”

“I’ll bring you in. They’ll explain everything. Um...” Supergirl looks around, bewildered. “What happened to your mother?”

Lena gulps, then puts on her best poker face. “She escaped while I was subduing her two heavies.”

“Oh. I thought I... Wow, I’ve got some imagination. Um... I need to get you back as soon as possible. Maybe there’s a way to track her. Uh... I could fly you back, if that’s all right?”

Lena flinches. “Okaaaaay... but what about Metalhead in the back?”

“I was thinking I could fly you both back in the van? But if that’s too scary I can just--”

Lena fights the panic rising in her chest. “No, that’s fine. I’d like to get back promptly.” _I’ve got to go grab Zelda before she turns back into my evil stepmother._

*****

It’s hours later before Lena finally pulls up to the motel in a car she’s had registered under a fake name. _Something more plausible than legendary Zelda._

An ambulance sits in the parking lot. Lena eyes a bit of commotion going on outside one of the ground-level rooms. Its door is open.

She walks inside the office. The night manager gives her a sleepy look. “Yes... my friend Zelda is staying here but I forget which room? Zelda... Barbarella?” Lena winces. Was Lillian high when she thought up that one?

“Oh yes, Zelda.” He smiles. “Lovely woman.”

*****

Lena knocks on the door of a ground-level room, ten feet away from the ice machine. She waits. There’s no sound inside.

She knocks again, growing agitated. She can’t help but look over at the room with the open door. EMTs are going in and out.

Lena’s eyes grow wide as Lillian saunters out of that door, smiling and calling goodbye to the inhabitants. Lillian sees Lena waiting for her and her smile grows wider. Lillian gives her a wave and starts to come over.

_I’m going to kill her. I can’t believe that of all the times I’ve wanted to kill her, it’s going to be because she’s being a nice person._

“Lena, darling! Let me just wash up and we can go.”

Lena manages to wait until Lillian unlocks the door-- then pulls her mother inside by her collar. She shuts the door and locks it. She turns on the surprised woman.

“What are you doing? I told you to stay put.”

“The mother broke her water in front of the ice machine. It was like a water park, the baby practically slid right out. I didn’t have to do much.”

“You delivered a baby?!?”

“It wasn’t difficult. I seemed to know just what to do.”

“I told you to stay in your room and not talk to anyone!”

“There really wasn’t much talking. Screaming, yes, but otherwise--”

“Mother!”

Lillian places her pocketbook on the table and goes into the bathroom, keeping the door open as she washes some blood off her blouse.

“You didn’t say not to help in case someone went into labor.”

“Don’t talk to anyone generally implies don’t help deliver a baby!”

“Am I not supposed to help others in their time of need?”

Lena tries desperately to calm down. “Normally, yes, but this is different.”

“How is this different?”

“Someone could have recognized you.”

“Am I not supposed to do the right thing and help someone? Would you have me be selfish and just look out for my own interests?”

_I truly am hallucinating now._

Lillian looks at Lena through the mirror. She suddenly shuts off the water and moves to touch her daughter.

“Lena, darling, you look faint. Here, sit down, dear.”

Lena snaps. “Will you stop calling me that? Just stop with the terms of endearment! You don’t even _know_ me!”

Lillian stares at Lena in shock, and pulls away her hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I won’t call you that anymore if you don’t like it. Please... just sit down. You don’t look well.”

Lillian hovers over her as Lena steps slowly to the bed and sits. And thinks.

She just yelled at her mother for treating her with the warmth and affection she had always desired from her.

Because how can it be real?

“I _do_ like it. I just...” She looks up at Lillian, an odd look on her face, her voice strained. “How can you care for me when you don’t remember anything about me?”

“I... I don’t know, Lena dear, I--” Lillian’s eyes grow wide. “I’m sorry. That just slipped out.”

Lena can’t help the smile tugging at her lips. “It’s okay. It’s not that I don’t like it, I just... I just need to understand.”

Lillian thinks for a moment. She gently sits down next to Lena.

“I don’t remember you, that’s true. I don’t remember anyone, or anything, in terms of personal memories. I can remember a plethora of facts and figures, and I seem to know my way around a first aid kit. But I have no idea who I am or who people are to me. So yes, in that sense, it’s  
true, I don’t really know you. But for some reason, I _know_ that I care for you.”

Lena squeezes her eyes shut, and scrunches up a fistful of comforter. _I care for you, too._

“But I don’t wish to do anything to upset you. Please, do let me know if I say or do something you don’t like, and I’ll stop.”

Lena thinks for a moment. “I _would_ like it if you continue to call me...” She gives Lillian a shy smile. “ ...those things.”

Lillian smiles warmly. “Of course, sweetheart.”

Lena can’t help but break into a grin. She looks away, slightly embarrassed. But strangely happy.

*****

Lena unlocks the door to her penthouse. She and Lillian-- who is wearing sunglasses and a kerchief around her head that partly obscures her face-- enter the apartment. Lillian takes off her 'disguise.'

“Tonight you’ll stay here with me. I own the apartment underneath as well, so tomorrow I’ll help you set up there.”

Lena steps out of her shoes and makes her way down the hall. “Here’s the bathroom, and this is where you’ll sleep--” She suddenly realizes Lillian’s no longer behind her.

She finds Lillian snooping through her fridge and kitchen cabinets, clucking at the meager vittles.

Lena sighs. “Mom, I’m exhausted. Can we argue about food tomorrow?”

*****

Lena wakes up to the smells of eggs and bacon. She can’t help but smile, before the memories of the previous night come flooding back. She pads worriedly into the kitchen, where Lillian is cooking breakfast.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Mother, what is all this? Where did all this food come from?”

“From the grocery store, where else?”

“How did-- what-- did you order a delivery?”

“You were asleep and there was no food in the house. So I took the credit card and went out, it’s a beautiful morning.”

“You went _outside?”_

“Oh don’t worry dear, I wore my disguise.”

Lena sees red. “That disguise worked on the night desk clerk because he was _sleepy._ It’s not going to work on the general populace!”

“It worked fine on the general populace in the grocery store.”

“You _talked_ to people?!?”

Lillian sighs. “Don’t blow a gasket, dear. Nobody went into labor. Scrambled or sunny side up?”

Lena glares at her, then sighs as well. “I don’t care, Mom. Take whichever you like.” _They’re going to take you away from me if you’re not careful._

_Please be careful._

*****

Every morning Lena wakes to a plate of bacon and eggs... or waffles... or pancakes... sitting covered and warm on the kitchen island. Next to a bagged lunch.

A sandwich. A piece of fruit. A boxed juice. _What am I, six?_

A note telling her how smart and beautiful she is, and to have a good day.

She may not be six, but she saves the notes in a tin in her top drawer at work.

Every afternoon Jess receives an anonymous call from a concerned citizen, asking her to please make sure Lena eats said lunch. (Jess assures the caller she’s on it, and wonders who Lena’s secret new girlfriend is. And when Lena started being into cougars.)

Every night Lena comes home to a three-course meal. (She hides the dessert in the back of her fridge, and brings it with her the next day to give to her friend with the ridiculous metabolism and the ridiculously beautiful blue eyes.)

Her concern that giving Lillian a key to the penthouse apartment wasn’t such a good idea is mitigated by the delicious meals. She never knew her mom _could_ cook, had never seen her do it, and wonders if Lillian has had a secret second family stashed away somewhere all these years, for normal, non-evil purposes.

Lillian has thankfully agreed to Lena’s ground rules. She’s kept herself hidden in the downstairs apartment, and has only come upstairs at mutually agreed-upon times, or when specifically invited by Lena calling her on the landline.

Lena feels guilty that Lillian isn’t receiving regular exercise and fresh air, until she goes downstairs to find Lillian practicing yoga on the balcony. Lena starts joining Lillian every morning to try and counter the extra calories. She finds herself growing closer to this soft, wonderful woman. Although she recognizes elements of the hard mother she knew when Lillian pushes her to hold Bound Warrior Pose longer.

Lena has explained to Lillian just enough that Lillian believes keeping her away from other people is for her own good, and that Lena’s working on clearing her name.

Lillian fights her a bit on not watching the news. Lena has to take her TV away, which is oddly satisfying.

Lena makes Lillian promise not to sneak out and buy a newspaper. Lena tells both desk clerks her poor aunt has dementia and may try to flee the building.

She only has to come collect Lillian twice. Once from each desk clerk.

Lillian borrows her science and engineering books. Lena worries they will jog her memory, but can’t think up a plausible excuse to forbid them.

Lena reads up on retrograde amnesia.

She learns that since procedural and episodic memories are stored in different areas of the brain, many amnesiacs retain their skills and knowledge of the world, despite having lost their personal narratives.

She learns that while often caused by a head injury, amnesia sometimes has a psychological component. That it’s common for criminals and murderers to develop amnesia.

She learns that often when patients regain their memories, they like the person they have become better than the person they were before.

Lena snorts. Her mom will be an exception. _She’ll be so horrified by the kind, caring, sweet person she’s become, she’ll_ want _to go to prison to try to rehabilitate herself._

Lena realizes how very sad she’ll feel when that day comes.

Three weeks of almost perfect bliss pass. Lena starts to let herself believe she may actually be able to keep this version of her mother to herself forever. Just in case, she readies Lillian a fake passport, and an apartment in Morocco.

Things get complicated when Lena begins dating Kara Danvers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible trigger for abuse. There is none but there is an action taken that makes one of the characters think that is going to happen, and then the characters talk about it. I didn't think I should tag for it but please let me know if after reading you think it would be helpful to tag as such, thank you!

Lena hadn’t meant to get so drunk. She doesn’t remember stumbling home, or falling into bed.

So when she wakes up with a pounding headache, in her pajamas, to the sight of a tall glass of water and two aspirins on the nightstand, and to the familiar smell of pancakes wafting under the door, all she can think is, _If Mom tries to scold me I’m going to lock her on her balcony in Bound Warrior Pose._

She’s not prepared to walk into the kitchen to the sight of Lillian and Kara flipping pancakes in tandem.

“Lena! Good morning! How are you feeling?” Kara sets her frying pan on the counter and flits over to her, a look of concern on her face.

“I’m-- ah-- I’ll survive,” Lena sputters out, and makes eye contact with Lillian. “Kara... this is--” _Quick! Betty? Daphne? Genevieve? Joan?_

“Your aunt Zelda, yes, we’ve met. She flips pancakes better than I do, can you believe it?” Kara gives Lillian a huge smile. She turns back to Lena. “You never mentioned she lives in your building?”

Lena tenses. “Yes, how neglectful of me, not ever to mention my... mom’s... non-evil twin.”

“Oh no, no, of course you don’t need to mention stuff... I mean, it was just a surprise, is all. A _good_ surprise!”

Lena laughs nervously. “Well, you know us Luthors. Just... full of surprises.”

Kara glances back at Lillian, who is busy layering pancakes with slabs of butter and powdered sugar.

“It’s like that movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, am I right?” Kara whispers. “I mean, how different can two people _be?_ I’m surprised Lillian didn’t strangle Zelda in her sleep growing up.” Kara sees Lena swallow hard. “I’m sorry Lena, I didn’t mean to insult your mom like that. I’m sure she has her... um... good side, I guess?”

“No, you’re not wrong. I’m astounded Zelda exists as well.”

At the mention of her name, 'Zelda' gives Lena a concerned look.

“Your friend Kara has a healthy appetite. Unlike you, my dear.”

“I’ve put on seven pounds, M-- _Aunt Zelda.”_ Lena shoots daggers at her mom, then relaxes her eye muscles as Kara turns from Lillian to her again.

Kara, whispering, keeps checking that Lillian’s once more preoccupied with breakfast. “At first when I walked into the kitchen I thought Lillian broke in and was making you poison pancakes, but then she introduced herself, and offered me one, and I said “You first,” because I still thought she was Lillian, so she ate one, and I ate one, and she showed me her flipping technique, which is all in the wrist, and then she was telling me about her home and garden in Bulgaria--”

_So that’s where Mom hides her secret second family._

Lena looks down at her pajamas, then back at her friend. “Kara, er... last night... did we...?” She blushes, and motions to the bedroom.

“Oh. Oh! No no, Lena, I mean... ah... you were really in a bad state? And I was going to go home after helping you to bed but you asked me to stay, because you were afraid you were going to hurl and choke in your sleep, and so I slept on the other side of the bed, and I do mean, the _total_ other side, haha, far, _far_ away from your side!”

Lillian turns her head to watch this Dance of the Big Dumb Gay Sugar Plum Fairies playing behind her.

“And yes, I did help you get changed, I mean at first you tried to on your own but you tripped on your pajama bottoms and I had to help you up, but, I promise I kept my eyes closed the whole time, except for when I stuck your buttons in the wrong holes? And I had to open them to unbutton, and then re-button, your whole, um--”

Kara gazes at Lena’s chest and blushes.

“Kara, it’s fine, I--”

Lillian sighs and turns back to tend to a new pancake.

“--and you said you wouldn’t mind if I peeked, that in fact you’d been _wanting to show me something for weeks,_ but I figured you were just teasing, and even if you did like me, which I know you don’t, haha, I would never take advantage of you while you were in such a vulnerable state-”

 _This is why you don’t drink in front of people you’re terribly in love with Lena, you embarrassing, klutzy, drunken ninny--_

“Kara, I am so, so sorry, I didn’t mean to put you in such an embarrassing position, I’m so ashamed--”

“No, Lena, it’s fine, I wasn’t--”

“Please believe me, I hadn’t meant to get so drunk, and I certainly didn’t mean to--”

Unable to take it anymore, Lillian whips around to face them, remembering her pancake mid-flip and reaching back with her pan to catch it as it falls through the air.

“I can’t believe I-- _my sister_ raised such a useless gay. Lena, you obviously like Kara. Kara obviously likes you. Ask her to dinner already, it’s not that hard.” She turns, putting the pan back over the flame, muttering to herself. “At this rate I’ll never be a grandmo-- _grand-aunt.”_

Kara gives Lena a shy smile.

Lena can’t believe her mom is her wingwoman.

*****

Their first date.

Lena takes Kara to a nice, cozy restaurant.

They savor good food, and each other’s giggles. There are blushes, and confessions of secret crushes.

Kara gets a call from her sister. _That damn sister._

Lena goes home and plugs in her vibrator.

Their second. At Kara’s place.

Lena’s nervous.

She needn’t be. It’s just like movie night.

Except with kisses.

Sweet, soft kisses.

Lena goes home and plugs in her vibrator.

Date three. Another restaurant.

They order appetizers. What Lena wants is not on the menu...

Lena clenches her hands in her lap, and smiles at Kara. “So, here we are, on another date. Our _third_ date...”

“Yes, our third date... just, nothing special-- I mean, of course it’s _special,_ haha, I didn’t mean...”

“Relax, Kara, I know what you meant.” _I’m nervous, too._

“Yeah... no, I don’t think you do.” Kara adjusts her glasses.

“You know, Kara, it’s fine, we don’t have to... you know... tonight. It’s just a silly convention.” Lena places her hand over Kara’s on the table.

“Yeah, no, I mean... I feel like we’ve kind of been on a hundred and three dates already.” Kara turns her hand over underneath Lena’s, and tickles her palm.

“Oh?” Lena giggles, flips Kara’s hand back over, and laces their fingers together.

“Yeah, um, I know I said the other night I didn’t really realize I wasn’t straight right away?” Kara’s sheepish grin dissolves into something serious. “But Lena, right from the start... I just knew something was special when we spent time together. I wanted to be with you more than anyone I’ve ever known, even if I didn’t know at the time I wanted to take off your-- _kiss_ you, I mean, haha, um...”

Lena grins. “Well, Miss Danvers, I for one knew I wanted to _kiss_ you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“Oh?”

“Oh yes.”

“But I was with Clark.” Confusion and shame fill her eyes, and Kara squeezes Lena’s hand. “He practically accused you of plotting to blow up the Venture single-handedly. Of course you must have thought I suspected you too... didn’t you?”

“I did. But I still _wanted to take off your... kiss you,_ I mean.” Lena smirks.

Kara blushes.

“Now that we’ve established we’re definitely on the same page...”

“Yes,” Kara breathes.

Lena withdraws her hand. Kara lets out a slight cry and reaches for her. Lena undoes another button on her blouse, and leans forward to give Kara a better view.

“We could stay here and spend time dancing around the issue, and have a nice dinner while we both think of... other things?”

“Or?” Kara licks her lips, shamelessly staring at the space between heaven and heaven.

“Or...” Lena kicks off a heel, and caresses Kara’s shin with her foot. “I have food at home, just so you know.”

“Check please!” Kara squeals to the nearest waiter.

*****

The door to Lena’s apartment opens, and Kara steps backwards inside. She lets her oversized handbag slip off her shoulder. It falls to the floor with a _thump!_

_What does she constantly carry around in there? A plug-in vibrator?_

Lena kisses Kara’s neck, and nips, and takes another step, backing Kara slowly toward the couch, closing the door behind herself.

“Oh, Lena...” moans Kara.

“Oh, Kara...”

“Oh! Golly!” shrieks Kara, as a monster fly dive-bombs her, then whizzes by.

“Kara, I’m sorry--”

“Lena... I didn’t mean to yell in your ear, I was just, um, strafed by military fire just now...”

“I’m sorry, it’s been hanging around for two days. I’ve been trying to kill it, but it’s so fast.” Lena glares at the fly now practicing military maneuvers inches below her ceiling.

Kara smiles, and tickles the back of Lena’s neck. “It’s fine. I’m fine, Lena. I was just caught off guard...” She mumbles to herself-- “... by some monstrous, alien superfly...” --then shakes it off. She leans in and nips at Lena’s earlobe, then licks behind it.

“Oh God,” breathes Lena. She places her hands on Kara’s cheeks and crashes into her lips, pushing her forward, toward the couch--

Chess pieces fly off a board set up on the coffee table as the back of Kara’s shins connect.

“Lena! I’m so sorry! Oh...” Kara bends down and picks up the pieces. She places them haphazardly onto the board.

“Kara, it’s fine, my m-- aunt and I have a running game, we’ll just start another.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry, I ruined your game with Zelda.”

Lena places her hands back on Kara’s hips. “It’s fine, Kara... She was winning anyway.” She grins into Kara’s lips, then slips her tongue inside Kara’s mouth.

Kara lets out another moan and sinks into the couch, Lena not far behind.

The fly grazes Kara’s hair on its next attack. She screeches and wrenches away.

Lena sighs. She smooths Kara’s hair, then gently massages her scalp. “Maybe the next time you see Supergirl you could ask her to drop by and kill it for me?” she jokes.

Kara lets out a strangled sound, a strange look on her face. Lena leans in again.

Another lick, another kiss. Kara sighs into it, then slips her hand down Lena’s back. She palms Lena’s rear and squeezes softly.

Lena smirks into the next kiss. “Miss Danvers, I didn’t realize you were so... cheeky.”

It’s Kara’s turn to smirk. “There’s a lot you don’t realize about me, Miss Luthor.” Her face changes suddenly. The smirk falls into a frown, and she pulls back.

Lena leans in, chasing more. More...

The fly, obviously feeling left out, zooms in between them, causing heads to jerk back.

“Oh!”

_Is this the celibacy police? What the fuck?_

Lena cups Kara’s face and crashes into her once more.

Kara places her hands over Lena’s and squeezes softly, before gently lowering them. She pulls away, taking back her face from Lena’s possession. “Lena, wait--”

“Kara please, oh please, I need you--”

“Lena, this... this just isn’t right.”

“I can kill the fly, Kara, I’ll kill it right now!” Lena grabs a flyswatter off the coffee table and jumps up, ready to fight for her orgasm.

“Lena, no...” Kara takes the hem of Lena’s skirt, and pulls her back down to the couch.

“Please, Kara...” Lena gently swats Kara’s rear with the flyswatter, ready to softly pummel her into submission.

“Lena... I want this, I really do--”

“I want this too--”

“But I feel so awful. I... I’ve been lying to you for months. I’ve been keeping a huuuuuuuge secret from you.”

_Probably not as huge as the one I’ve been keeping._

“I want to do this right, Lena. I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”

Lena lets go of the flyswatter and squeezes Kara’s thigh. “Kara... it’s fine. Whatever secrets you have, I’m sure you have a good reason for them. Things happen, and you make choices you never in a million years would think you’d choose, and the next thing you know you’re eating pancakes instead of drinking kale smoothies, and doing yoga, and--”

Kara’s phone goes off.

_Nooooooooooooo! No! Nononononononononononononono--_

Kara glances at the caller ID. Her face falls. “I’m so sorry Lena. I have to take this.”

 _\--nononono--_ “Yes, of course you do, it’s fine.” _It’s so_ not _fine. Does Alex Danvers work for the vibrator company?_

“Hi Alex... Yeah... Yeah... I’m on it.” Kara sighs and turns to Lena, who can’t help but think of going all Luthor on Alex Danvers’ ass. “Lena, I’m so, so sorry...”

 _Not as sorry as your sister is going to be._ “No, Kara, I get it. Believe me, I know things come up.” _Things that a grown-ass adult ought to be able to take care of on her own,_ Agent _Danvers._

Kara leans in and kisses Lena’s cheek. Lena closes her eyes, desperately wishing for more. Kara hesitates, and kisses her forehead. Lena whimpers.

Kara stands. Lena reluctantly gets up as well, and follows Kara as she moves to the foyer. She picks up her handbag. Lena opens the door for her.

Looking back at Lena, Kara leans in and gives her a final, sweet kiss, on soft lips. “Tomorrow. I’ll make it up to you, Lena. I promise.”

Lena’s fingers tighten around the doorknob. “Kara?”

“Yeah?”

“I... I don’t want you to think I just... that I just want...” She blushes. “You know.”

Kara just looks at her, her head at an obvious I-don’t-know tilt.

“I don’t just... want to... sleep with you, you know.” Lena looks down at the floor, utterly mortified.

“Oh gosh. Oh no, Lena.” Kara gently strokes Lena’s cheek.

“I know I acted a bit deranged this evening... And my drunken shenanigans the other night didn’t help.” Lena laughs, then turns wistful. “I need you to know my heart’s in this.”

“Oh Lena. I know...” Kara leans in and softly brushes her lips against Lena’s one more time. She smiles and pulls away.

Lena tugs her back. She steals another kiss, another smile, then watches Kara go, and shuts the door softly.

She sighs, and leans against it.

*****

Lena plugs in her vibrator.

*****

She pours herself a glass of whiskey.

She’s going to have to buy a new vibrator. Or buy the electric company. Or better yet, help her mom get her memory back, get her to teach her how to frame and imprison Alex Danvers, then kidnap Kara and bring her to a secret sex lair where she can keep her and her lovely heart for herself forever.

And then bash Lillian over the head, return her to niceness, and keep her as well.

Lena slumps back onto the couch, stares at the chess pieces, and slaps them to the floor.

*****

Lillian moves her black pawn two spaces forward.

Lena counters. “Sorry, Mom. You were probably going to win that last one.”

“It’s fine, dear. It’s just a game. Anyway in a few hours I’ll win this one.” She moves another foot soldier.

Lena snorts. “You probably will. I’m rather out of sorts tonight.”

Lillian watches Lena take entirely too long to make the next move this early on. “Lena, honey. I know Kara is very important to you.”

“She is.”

“You know she feels the same for you.”

Lena shrugs her shoulders. “I _don’t_ know. I think. I’d like to think so.”

“I know she feels the same for you.”

“How do you know?”

Lillian’s eyes twinkle. “Anyone with eyes would know. Stevie Wonder would know.”

“You remember Stevie Wonder, but not your own daughter.”

Lillian smiles and shrugs.

Lena sighs. “Her sister just calls way too often. It’s like high school all over again. Grandparents dying left and right.”

The monster fly buzzes through the chess pieces. Lillian grasps at it with her fist. The fly zips through her fingers.

“Mom, here, I have a flyswatter for that.”

“Let’s not kill it, Lena. Let’s capture it and set it free over the balcony.”

 _My mom has literally turned into a person who wouldn’t hurt a fly._ “You’re a good yogini, Mom, but I don’t think you’ve quite yet reached the necessary state of Zen to catch a fly unaware with your fingers.”

“Nonsense, dear, it’s all in the wrist.” She lunges again at the fly as it makes another pass, narrowly missing.

They hear the sound of boots lightly touching the balcony. Lillian jumps up from the couch, then pulls Lena up as well.

“Lena! Run to the door. I think I hear an intruder.” Lillian gets into a judo stance. _A secret third family in Japan, then._

Lena clutches Lillian’s arm. “Mom. Please go downstairs. I know who it is.” She pushes Lillian toward the door. Supergirl _cannot_ see her. She _cannot_ take her mom into custody, this Lillian doesn’t deserve it, Lena doesn’t deserve it... _What a terrible villain origin story this will make. I succumbed to the Dark Side because Supergirl took away my mommy. All the other villains will make fun of me._ “I need to talk to her. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Lena. No one you know would come in through the balcony.” Lillian spins like a ninja out of Lena’s grasp and advances toward the balcony, ready to face her daughter’s would-be assassin. “It’s probably a cat burglar.”

“I’m not dating Catwoman, Mom,” Lena protests, moving to grab her. _I mean, I did. She kept stealing my underwear._

Supergirl enters the apartment.

Lena springs back in front of Lillian. “Supergirl. Hello? You know I was only joking when I asked Kara if you could come kill my fly, right?”

“Lena, I--”

Lillian moves out from behind Lena, and looks at Supergirl-- with shock. She gets a surprised stare back.

Lena grabs Lillian and steers her toward the door. She glances back at Supergirl. “Supergirl, I know what this looks like, but I can explain--” Lena takes advantage of Supergirl’s apparent confusion and opens the door, pulling Lillian into the hall.

“Darling, I...” Lillian squeezes Lena’s arm. “I suddenly got... I don’t know, a glimpse? A feeling? Something from before.”

“M-- “ Lena glances toward the apartment, then back at her mom. _“Aunt Zelda._ Please, I need you to trust me. Go downstairs and wait for me. I just need a few minutes, and we’ll talk. Okay?”

Lillian gives her arm another squeeze and nods. “Yes, dear. Go inside now and talk with Kara.”

“With Kara?” Lena laughs. “With Supergirl.”

“Kara is a super girl, yes,” Lillian agrees. “But isn’t it a bit too soon for pet names? You’ve only been together a week.”

Lena motions inside the apartment. “Mom, Supergirl is... that... being... in the bright blue suit and red cape. The one standing in my apartment.”

Lillian looks at Lena, not understanding. “Darling. That woman inside your apartment is Kara. Without glasses.”

Lena scoffs. “Mom. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Kara is a complete and utter, although absolutely lovely and charming, klutz.”

“That woman is Kara. Even Stevie Wonder would see.”

Lena laughs. “Okay, Mom. Stevie Wonder would _not_ see.”

“You’re right, dear. He would hear. Her voice sounds exactly the same as Kara’s.”

Lena opens her mouth to retort, then closes it sharply.

Suddenly it’s very quiet in the hallway.

*****

Lena enters the apartment and shuts the door.

Supergirl stops pacing, and turns to look at her, fear and longing on her face. “Lena...”

Lena looks at her with unsure eyes. “Supergirl. I suppose you were... listening to me just now, talking to my... my...”

Kara looks at Lena, her eyes round and sad. “Oh, Lena. I wouldn’t infringe on your privacy like that. But I... I _do_ know that’s... that that’s your Aunt Zelda.” She cringes and looks down at the floor.

Lena lets out a breath. “Kara?”

Kara nods, looking back up at Lena, her face pleading for forgiveness. “Lena, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to you all this time.”

Lena holds out a hand, and tries to stop the tears from coming. “No. Kara, I... I understand sometimes there’s a need to lie.”

“Oh, Lena--” Kara takes a step toward her, then stops herself.

“I’m not angry, Kara. I’m... I’m just embarrassed I didn’t figure it out myself.” Lena rests her face in her hands.

“Lena...”

“Kara. I think a month ago... I might have been a bit immature about this, and taken it personally, you keeping such a big secret from me. But now, I... I know whatever your reason, I know it wasn’t to hurt me.”

“It wasn’t. And it wasn’t because you’re a Luthor.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if it was.”

“It wasn’t. It... it was so many things, but never about that. I’ve never thought of you as a Luthor, Lena.”

Lena wipes away a tear. “Why tonight?”

“We were going to... we were... I couldn’t bear to not tell you, to ask you to give yourself to me, fully, and not share all of myself with you.” Kara reaches out a hand to her, then drops it in doubt.

“Kara...”

Lena’s phone rings. Lena ignores it, and moves slowly toward Kara. Kara stands still, ready to accept anything Lena gives her.

Lena puts her arms around Kara. Kara holds her. The phone keeps ringing. “Lena...”

“It’s fine.”

“It might be important.”

“I don’t care.”

“I care, Lena.”

Lena can’t help more tears from falling.

Kara squeezes tighter, but gently guides them toward Lena’s phone. She picks it up, and places it inside Lena’s palm.

Lena pulls away just enough to check the caller ID.

“It’s downstairs. I need to--”

Kara nods and lets go.

Lena sniffles once, then answers. “Yes... Yes... Thank you so much. I’ll be right down.” She hangs up.

“Kara, I’m so sorry, it’s my aunt, she...”

Kara shakes her head. “No, no Lena, it’s fine.” She grasps Lena’s free hand and squeezes. A siren screams off in the distance. Lena lets out a mirthless laugh.

“Can we try again tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” Kara nods emphatically. “For sure. No ifs, ands or buts.”

“Well... maybe some butts,” Lena quips, and pinches Kara’s. Kara squeals, then laughs.

“Definitely butts,” Kara amends. She kisses Lena’s cheek, and leads her by the hand to the balcony. She gives Lena another squeeze, then releases her.

One last look behind her, one last smile, and she launches off the balcony into the sky.

Lena watches her go, clenching her phone and sighing.

*****

“You promised me you wouldn’t leave the building,” hisses Lena once the doors close on them in the elevator.

Lillian turns to her daughter with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I broke my promise dear, but I had a strong hunch that if I could just get my hands on a newspaper, it would trigger something.”

“Mom, I told you there might be an article about you being the alien mass murderer, and that would upset you.”

“Darling, you’ve already warned me about that, so it should hardly be upsetting if I do run across one. It might help me remember something!”

Lena sighs. “And I’ve told you how dangerous it is for you to go outside. The desk clerks read the paper, too, or you might run into somebody in the street. Sooner or later someone is going to figure out who you are!”

“And what would be so terrible about that, Lena?” argues Lillian. “True I might be falsely arrested, for a time, but the authorities could perhaps give me proper medical attention. I might recover my memories!”

“I don’t _want_ you to recover your memories!” Lena snaps. “They’re going to take you away from me, and I can’t bear to lose you. I just...” Lena feels her eyes starting to sting. “I just got you, Mom.”

“Lena darling, I don’t understand. You just got me? Did I travel a lot?”

Lena bursts into tears as the elevator doors open.

*****

They enter the apartment, Lena wiping furiously at her eyes, Lillian reaching out to her. “Lena, please tell me what has got you so upset!”

“Mom, please, please just trust me?”

“Darling, it’s been a month. It’s not that I doubt your ability or intelligence, but you obviously don’t have experience with criminal elements. Maybe you need a little help with this. Maybe if you told me the particulars I could help you.”

Lena turns on her mother with a sneer. “How could _you_ help, Mom? Do _you_ have experience with criminal elements?”

“Of course not, dear. But if you would tell me what happened, I might be able to help you figure out how to solve this.”

Suddenly there’s a _THUD!_ out on the balcony. Lena and Lillian exchange glances, then both call out--

“Kara?”

They enter the balcony. A figure, dressed all in black, wearing a mask and suction cups on its elbows and knees, slowly gets up from the floor.

“Selina?” asks Lena incredulously. They broke up ages ago. The whole long distance thing, the stealing her underwear thing, Batman being jealous and demanding a threesome... And when had Catwoman gotten so clumsy, anyway?

The masked intruder takes a step forward, limping.

Lena reaches forward and pulls off the mask, revealing...

“Alana?” _Well this is proactive. Even Jess knows when to call it a night._ “What on Earth--”

Alana stares at Lillian. “I knew it!” she blurts. “I knew Miss Luthor kidnapped you and was holding you hostage!”

Lillian looks at Lena in confusion.

“Don’t worry, Boss! I’ll get her--” Alana lunges at Lena, but Lena’s too fast, sidestepping her, grabbing a flower pot and _BANG!ing_ Alana over the head. Alana slumps to the floor, out cold.

“Lena? I don’t understand. Why did this woman try to hurt you?”

 _Because she’s a fucking fucking fuck. Fuck. I can’t even fucking_ think _right now._ Lena struggles to control her breathing as her life implodes around her. How the fuck is she going to keep her mom a secret _now?_ Hope Alana wakes up with amnesia too? And if she doesn’t, keep banging her over the head until she does? She _is_ getting a lot of practice banging... just not the kind she likes.

Lillian stares at the prone figure on the ground, then back at her daughter.

“Lena. She talked to me as if she _knew_ me. As if she... _worked_ for me. As if... as if we worked _against you._ Lena... You _must_ tell me what’s going on.”

Lena shakes her head furiously. _All the more reason I must not._ “I’ve got to go tie her up, Mom.” She exits the balcony, strides to a hall closet, and rummages inside for rope.

Lillian follows Lena. “We’ve _got_ to go to the police now, Lena. This woman climbed up into your apartment on suction cups. She could have _hurt_ you.”

“Mom!” Lena’s hands shake as she tries to untangle rope from a string of Christmas lights. “Stay out of it! I am handling it!”

Lillian fixes her hands on her hips, a critical look in her eyes, bringing Lena back to the Lillian of old, as if she never left. “You’re obviously doing a very poor job of handling it.”

Lena turns on her. “What the _fuck_ do you know, Mom?”

Lillian raises her hand and Lena flinches away from her as Lillian smacks--

\--her hand against the closet door, narrowly missing the monster fly as it escapes once again, buzzing past Lena’s head.

Lillian stares at her daughter, wide-eyed. “Lena. Did... did you think I was going to hit you?” Lena shakes her head, but her face tells a different story. Lillian lets out a breath.

“Lena? Have I ever hit you? Before?”

“No. You never did,” Lena whispers, her voice cracking.

“Then... why did you think...” Lillian’s voice hitches.

“You’ve never hit me, but you’ve never really been angry with me before. You were often... _disappointed._ But you were always cold. Never angry. You didn’t care enough about me to be angry.” Lena wraps her arms around herself, trying to keep years of hurt from spilling out.

Lillian stares at Lena. Lena fights to hold back tears.

“My darling. I... I can’t remember how I treated you, but... for anything I did... or didn’t do... I am so, so sorry, sweetheart. You deserve the world and... I can’t understand why I couldn’t give it to you.”

Lena sniffles, and brushes tears away from her eyes. “I’m sorry I talked to you that way, Mom.”

“Lena... oh, Lena. I don’t mind about that. I just need you to stay safe. Because I love you. I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”

Lillian dabs daintily at her eyes.

Lena lets out a river of tears.

Lillian holds her arms out to her and Lena crashes into them. _“Mom...”_

“Sweetheart.”

Lillian holds Lena for several minutes, until Lena manages to stop sobbing. She strokes Lena’s hair, and rubs her back. Lena exhales, then slowly withdraws from her, feeling ashamed, looking down at the rope in her hands.

Lillian follows her lead and pulls back as well. “Lena, darling. You’re tired. I should let you rest. We’ll figure out what to do tomorrow.”

Lena nods, and follows her mom to the front door. Lillian gives her a smile and touches her cheek. Then she lets go and reaches for the doorknob.

Just... Lena can’t let her go. “Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Could you... please not go? Please stay with me and...” Lena blushes.

“And what, darling?”

“You never... you never... cuddled with me. When I was little.”

“What? Not ever? Not even when you had a bad dream?” Lillian stares incredulously.

Lena can’t speak anymore, all she can do is shake her head and start crying again. Lillian moves to her immediately, and holds her while she trembles.

*****

Lena opens her bureau drawers, searching for sleepwear for Lillian. “I don’t think I have any clothes that fit you, Mom.”

“It’s fine, Lena. I can sleep like this.”

Lena looks at her mom’s cashmere sweater and pristine, pressed dress slacks. “No, Mom, I want you to be comfortable. Could you... could you maybe go down and change and then... come back up?” She blushes again, her heart not used to asking for things and getting them.

Lillian smiles warmly. “Of course, my darling.”

*****

Lena sits waiting on her bed, wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts, her hair down. She hears the key turn in the lock.

She hears Lillian move into the kitchen and fill up a glass of water.

Lillian enters the bedroom, wearing a robe and pajamas underneath. She sets the water glass on Lena’s nightstand, then takes off her robe and places it over a chair.

Lena can’t help but smile at the pajamas.

Lillian gets in the bed, moves to the far side, and holds the covers open for her.

Lena gets in. She hesitates a moment, stealing a shy look at her mom, and then... lets go, and allows herself to sink into Lillian’s arms.

She suddenly pulls back. “Mom, we should change sides. So you’re closer to your water.”

“My water?”

“Your glass of water.”

Lillian gazes at Lena for a few moments. Then she smiles. “Lena. That water is for you.”

“Oh.”

Lena places her palms over her eyes to stop more tears from coming.

Lillian puts her arms around her, letting the covers fall over them, and slowly guides Lena to lay down against her.

Lena smells her mom, and feels her softness, feels her stroking her hair.

“Lena, my darling. You are a strong, independent, brilliant woman. A courageous, beautiful woman. And even though I can only remember a month of it, I want you to know how proud I am to be your mother.”

Lena squeezes her mom tighter, and holds on for several moments. Finally she relaxes, and allows herself to enjoy what she’s waited her whole life for, as she slowly drifts off into sleep, safe, and loved, in her mother’s arms.

*****

Meanwhile, in the living room, Alana, conscious again, struggles bound to a chair, a piece of duct tape over her mouth, not getting any love as the fly buzzes relentlessly around her ear.

*****

Morning light shines through the bedroom window. Lena, dressed in her normal CEO armor, pins up her hair. Lillian, still in her pajamas, shrugs into her long black coat.

Her evil-looking coat.

“Good thing I forgot this here the other night. I don’t think my evening gown screams _villainess_ quite as much,” Lillian jokes.

 _Hopefully Alana will not look down at your puppy pajama pants._ Seriously. It had been a mistake to let Lillian and Kara online shop together. “Mom, do you remember what to say?”

“Yes, dear. I’ve got it memorized.”

Lena gives her a stern look. “Remember. Say _exactly_ what I told you. You’re going to have to act tough. Can you do that for me?”

“That woman tried to hurt you, darling. I can certainly act tough.”

“And... try to look menacing.”

Lillian pulls down her eyebrows and scrunches up her lips. But her eyes remain more Zelda than old school Lillian.

“You wouldn’t scare a fly.” Lena sighs. “Fine. Just... don’t ad lib anything. We need this to work.”

They exit Lena’s bedroom together. Lena stops at the edge of the hallway, peeking around the corner to watch as Lillian marches up to Alana.

Alana’s head hangs, having succumbed to exhaustion at some point during the night.

Lillian looks over at Lena, questioning. Lena mimes smacking Alana upside the head to wake her. Lillian turns back to Alana and... tickles her under her chin.

Lena groans inwardly.

Alana wakes up with a start. Her eyes grow wide with fear as they focus on her boss.

Lillian cackles. Lena cringes, and wonders why her mother couldn’t have also lost her memories of bad movie villains.

Lillian starts to warm to her act. “Well, well, Alana, my little mole. Congratulations. Your arrival last night was ever so fortuitous... Not!”

_Oh my God she’s ad-libbing._

“I had my daughter _convinced_ that I have amnesia, and have been playing the long game to infiltrate L-Corp myself. Now, a whole month of sustained efforts has been ruined by your stupid incompetence.”

Lillian huffs, and... momentarily forgets her lines.

Lena is about to have a meltdown. Lillian _looks_ like she’s trying to remember what to say.

Lillian suddenly remembers, and launches back into her spiel. “On top of that, you’ve blown your cover at L-Corp. As such, you are no longer of use to me. And as my daughter can now use you to get to me, I can’t let you live.”

Alana quakes in fear.

“However, as I’m feeling strangely generous on this beautiful, sunny morning, with the birds chirping outside merrily--”

_Mom!!! What part of no ad-libbing did you not understand?!?_

“--I’m going to let you go, as long as you leave National City and never return. Never let me see your sorry face again.”

Alana looks relieved. Too relieved. Lillian glances back over at Lena. Lena frantically gestures for her to look away. Alana can’t know she’s in on this!

Lillian whirls back to Alana. “I thought I heard a noise... Anyway... Disobey me and I will... I will... erm... I will look for you. I _will_ find you. And I will KILL you.”

Lena holds her face in her hands, and hopes to God Alana’s never seen _Taken._

Lillian must realize she’s on thin ice too, as suddenly she gets a maniacal look in her eyes. She swipes at Alana, who instinctively shuts her eyes and jerks her head away.

Lillian catches the monster fly in mid-air. She waits till Alana re-opens her eyes.

Lillian holds the struggling fly between the thumb and index finger of her left hand. With her right, she peels off one of the fly’s wings. Then promptly stuffs it up Alana’s right nostril. Alana freaks out, whipping her head around, trying to clear her orifice. To no avail. Lillian tears off the other wing, grabs Alana’s face to hold it still, and deposits the wing up Alana’s left nostril.

Lena watches, riveted. Even old Lillian was never this disgusting.

Lillian rips the duct tape off Alana. She grabs her mouth, forces it open, and stuffs in the fly’s body. Alana gags as Lillian snaps her mouth shut and re-affixes the tape.

“Now, you can either swallow that fly in acknowledgement that you will leave National City and never return, and stay out of my way forever... Or, you can spit it out, and I’ll release its wingless body over the balcony railing, where it will fall to its pitiful, insignificant death.”

Lillian once more tears off the duct tape. “Just as I’ll release your suction cup-less body over the railing next.”

Alana immediately swallows the fly. And promptly gags once more.

“Good, I see we understand one another. Don’t ever come back here, and don’t let me see, or hear from you ever again. Or I will look for you. I will fi--”

Lena waves her arms madly. Lillian luckily sees her in her peripheral vision and stops with the movie quoting.

She unties Alana and pulls her up out of the chair. Alana stands shakily after having been restrained all night, and trembles.

Lillian grabs Alana by the shoulders and drags her roughly toward the balcony. Alana shrieks in terror.

“Relax, my short, squirmy fly-eater. I’m a woman of my word. Yes, I _am_ going to release you over the balcony... but... you’ll have your suction cups.”

Lillian picks up the suction cupped pads from the floor. She fits them over Alana’s elbows. Next she lifts up Alana’s legs, one by one, drawing each pad up and over each knee.

“You can leave the same way you came in.” She hauls a frenzied Alana over the edge.

“I-- I don’t think I can make it! I’m freaking out! It takes a lot of concentration to not make a mistake and--”

“Tsk, tsk. That would be an unenviable way to go out, wouldn’t it? So be sure to be careful on your way down.” Lillian shoves Alana the rest of the way over.

Lena, who has crept far enough into the living room to be able to surreptitiously look on, prays none of the neighbors are watching. She and her mom most definitely did not discuss this part.

Lillian stands watching Alana sloooooooooowly creep down the face of the building, humming to herself the old children’s rhyme, _“There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don’t know why she swallowed the fly, perhaps she’ll die!”_

After several minutes, Lena comes over and sneaks a peek over the rail. She pulls back and stares at Lillian. “Really, Mom?”

Lillian shrugs nonchalantly. “She couldn't very well sign out when she hadn't signed in, could she?”

“No, you’re absolutely correct. I’m just in awe of your ad-libbing. The fly was a nice touch. Gross. But utterly convincing.”

“Wasn’t it electrifying?” Lillian turns to her in triumph. “It was just like when I delivered that baby, my body seemed to move with an intelligence of its own! I guess I’m just a natural born actress.”

 _A natural born something,_ thinks Lena darkly.

Suddenly Lillian’s face grows serious. And sad. “That poor fly.”

“Hmmm? Oh. Oh yes. Poor thing.” Thank God. Now she can make out with Kara in peace.

“Lena... Did I... Was I really in cahoots with that woman? That woman who tried to hurt you? Did I... did _I_ ever try to hurt you?”

Lena takes hold of Lillian’s hands and squeezes them, hoping to stop the flow of pain in her mother’s eyes before it really starts. “Mom. Don’t. Please don’t. You can’t torture yourself about that. It's true I never gave you a World’s Best Mom coffee mug. But you... you were a much different person then. You’re lovely now. I...”

She looks down at her feet, then summons the courage to look her mother in the eye as she means these words for the first time. “I love you too, Mom.”

Tears escape them both. “But you couldn’t before. I didn’t treat you with love before. Lena... Oh my darling. I can never go back and be the mother you needed then, I can never make it up to you. I’ll never--”

“Mom, stop.” Lena rubs at her own tears, then gently wipes off Lillian’s. She pulls her mom into her arms. “I _wanted_ to love you then. And I do now. That’s what’s important. Please stop worrying about before. I don’t want to think about before. I just... I’m just happy to have you now.” She holds her mom and rubs her back, and sighs as Lillian pulls back just enough to kiss her forehead.

*****

Buzzing around Alana’s forehead, as she makes her way slowly down the face of the building, still shaking, is a humongous, angry fly... possibly the mate of the fly whose wings are still stuck up her nose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Research is taking longer than I thought so I decided to break the last chapter into two parts. Lillian’s only in this one briefly, Alex makes an appearance, and Lena and Kara finally get some alone time.

Kara gets up from under a sunlamp at the DEO, recharged after a long night battling aliens, aggravatingly annoying aliens who are keeping her from having unbelievable, solar flare-inducing sex with Lena Luthor. Which would be a much nicer reason to end up under the sunlamps, at least that way she could reminisce the night after about Lena licking her... her... Kara surreptitiously looks over at Alex, wondering if her sister can tell she’s fantasizing about Lena licking her--

“So what are you planning to do on this special-night-off-from-Supergirl-duties-unless-the-world-is-absolutely-ending-or-Lena’s-company-is-under-attack, hmmm?” Alex looks up from a tablet on which she’s entering notes on Kara’s condition. “Anything having to do with Lena?”

 _Yes, tonight’s the night she’s finally going to lick my--_ Kara smiles shyly and blushes. “I told you, Alex. I told you Lena and I have been seeing each other.”

“Yes, you have,” sighs Alex, and pulls down her eyebrows.

“Don’t do that, Alex, don’t do that thing. I know you don’t trust her, but _I_ do,” argues Kara.

“It’s not that I don’t trust her, Kara. I don’t really know her. I _do_ trust you. Just... do me a favor and don’t lose control and let slip you’re Supergirl while you’re caught in the throes of passion, okay?” Alex laughs lightly, and Kara joins in.

“Oh no, haha, nooooooooooooo, I definitely won’t be telling her I’m--”

“Supergirl. Here are the NDA forms you requested.” Pam from HR strides into the room, a sheaf of papers in her hand. Alex’s eyes grow wide with surprise and betrayal.

Kara cringes and reaches for the forms, but Pam pulls them away, holding them close to her chest. From her pocket she pulls out a pencil. Kara gulps as her eyes follow the pencil. Pam starts tapping it rhythmically against the papers.

“I thought I would deliver them to you _personally,_ so I could get the chance to _thank_ you for voluntarily telling _yet another_ civilian about your _secret_ identity.”

“Well, not voluntarily, actually, technically. I don’t ever tell them voluntarily, except for that one time, and then there was that other time but I kind of had to so that really doesn’t count, and last night I didn’t actually _tell_ her I just _admitted_ it, so...” mumbles Kara. She shoots a glance at Alex, who is glaring at her.

Pam huffs, then holds out the forms to her. Kara reaches out for them again. Pam suddenly pulls back her arm, and stares at the soft flesh between the thumb and forefinger of Kara’s outstretched hand.

“All done under the sunlamps?” --Kara nods, confused as to why Pam’s asking-- “No longer susceptible to paper cuts?” --Kara shakes her head-- ”Damn,” mutters Pam under her breath, jamming the forms into Kara’s hand, turning on her heel and stomping out of the room.

Alex turns on her. “You definitely won’t be telling Lena you’re Supergirl, hmmm?”

“Yeah, no, technically not, since she already knows, ah, so...”

“Kara. What the hell? What is it with you and the loose lips?”

“It wasn’t really my fault. She already seemed to know. I just... confessed, is all.”

“How did she _seem_ to know, pray tell?”

“Well, somehow she could tell that I knew Zelda was Zelda, and not her mom, even though Zelda _looks_ like her mom, or her mom looks like Zelda, is probably more accurate? And I couldn’t have known that as Supergirl because I was Kara when I made pancakes with Zelda, and did my Christmas shopping online with Zelda, and--”

“Sorry, who is _Zelda?”_

“Zelda. Lena’s aunt. Lillian’s twin. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Amazingly you neglected to mention that fascinating tidbit of information.”

“Yeah, can you believe it? Lillian has a twin sister.”

“No.” Alex narrows her eyes. “I really can’t. A _twin_ sister. I see. And you just met her now?”

“Oh, she’s been living in Lena’s building awhile. I just met her because it was the first time I stayed over at Lena’s, and really the _only_ reason I stayed over that night is because we care for each other as _people_ and _not_ just because of how sexy Lena is in her pajamas, and because otherwise Lena could have choked?” _Choked on her own sexiness._ “Because if she had planned to have me over I’m sure she would’ve drunk less, and told Zelda to skip the pancakes, and picked out boxer shorts since they’re much harder to trip in, and--”

Alex waves her hand to dismiss this irrelevant-to-the-problem-at-hand and confusing information. “Don’t you think it’s convenient that Lillian’s twin sister shows up at almost the exact same time Lillian supposedly escapes?”

“Well I don’t know that it’s convenient for Lena as she’s put on seven pounds, even though I think she looks absolutely _amazing_ as always, but she worries that-- oh. Oh! That’s... that’s ridiculous, Alex. First of all, Lena is _good._ Secondly... Zelda is like Lillian after a lobotomy. _Two_ lobotomies! In a row! Nobody is _that_ good of an actress.”

Alex sighs, and shuts her eyes. “Did you actually _see_ Lillian escape the night you picked up Lena?”

“No, Lena told me her mom escaped.”

“Ah.” Alex fixes Kara with an are-you-really-a-total-bozo look. ”Lena _told_ you.”

“She wouldn’t lie to me, Alex.”

“Just like you wouldn’t lie to her, right? Not even about something super important to you, like being Supergirl?”

Kara gasps, and her eyes grow wide as her hand shoots up to cover her gaping mouth. As she remembers Lena not being angry at Kara’s Supergirl secret. Like, at all.

And Lena telling her she understood the need to keep secrets. Oh, Rao, no. Was Lena _lying_ to her?

And would that adversely affect the possibility of smooches tonight?

*****

Kara finishes her fourth steak, and smacks her lips. “Rao, Lena, this was sooooooooo good!”

Lena leans back in her chair, admiring Kara’s voracious appetite, as well as... _other_ things about her as they sit at her dining table, enjoying a candlelit dinner. “I confess my aunt marinated them, she’s a terrific cook. Well, _you_ know, you’ve had her pancakes.”

Kara tenses, worry suddenly in her eyes. “You didn’t, um... tell your aunt I’m Supergirl, did you?”

“No, of course not, I would never tell your secret to anyone, Kara.”

“But she saw me in your apartment.”

“Kara... Honestly, she doesn’t even know who Supergirl is. She... doesn’t watch the news, or read newspapers, or--”

“She doesn’t think it’s strange to make so much food for one-- ah, _two_ people?” Kara gives Lena a sheepish grin.

Lena smirks. “She thinks the amount you eat is normal, and that _I_ eat like a bird, so... no worries there.”

Kara grows serious again, and takes a deep breath. “How long has Zelda been living here, anyway?”

“Oh... a while...” Lena nudges Kara’s shin with her foot under the table. “Kara. Can we maybe not talk about my aunt tonight? I’d rather talk about... _other_ things.”

She leans slowly across the table. Kara moves forward to meet her in a kiss, but Lena only lightly touches her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, then pulls back teasingly. “Or maybe not talk at all?”

“I can totally be into not talking.” Kara leans forward and captures Lena’s mouth with her own.

Kara suddenly pulls away, leaving Lena to whimper at the loss of contact. But Kara jumps up and rounds the table. Lena squeals as Kara picks her up out of the chair, her arms under Lena’s knees and around her upper back. They both laugh, and Kara carries her to the bedroom.

She places Lena gently on the bed, takes off Lena’s shoes and kicks off her own. Lena watches with excitement as Kara straddles her on the bed. “Miss Danvers. I hadn’t pictured you as a top. Luckily I’m versatile.” Lena places her hands on Kara’s rear and squeezes gently.

“Lena, oh Lena...” Kara suddenly pulls back slightly. “I just, I need to be careful not to get overly excited and lose control. I don’t want to hurt you. What with my super strength and all.”

Lena can feel her motor oil leaking to the sound of those words. “I’m not scared of you, Kara. In fact, I’m rather excited to put your _super strength_ to good use. And your _super speed._.. Oh God... Your freeze breath, even.”

“My freeze breath? Really?” Kara squeaks in confusion.

“Yes. You might need to... punish me? If I disobey you?” She’d been planning to wait to reveal her kinky side to Kara until they’d been having sex a month, but... Oh, who was she kidding? A week. Tops. A couple nights. But she couldn’t help herself. The words 'super strength' were to blame. And really, Kara should know from the outset what she was getting into.

“Punish you? As in... Lena, have you done something wrong?”

“Not yet...” Lena grins deviously.

*****

As Lena did things to her that Kara would happily think of during all future sunlamp treatments-- in fact she’d have to be careful not to let herself get distracted fighting future aliens with thoughts of thoughts she was going to think under those lamps-- Kara kept losing focus. Alex had said Lena might be lying about Lillian, and because Kara had been fantasizing about Lena licking her while talking to Alex, now that Lena was actually licking her, Kara couldn’t get thoughts of what Alex had said out of her mind. _Arrrrrrgghh! Grill her about Lillian later! You don’t have to be Supergirling all the time, for Rao’s sake! You can enjoy Lena slurping your Slushie and squeezing your sticky buns for one night, one glorious night, without worrying if the world is ending, or if Lena is lying to you about her mother, or what Lena’s kinks might reveal about her subconscious issues, or mean for our future._

Suddenly the blindfold over her eyes is removed, and she finds gorgeous green eyes staring into her own. “Kara? Are you all right?”

*****

Lena looks into those beautiful blue eyes that she wants to gaze into for the rest of her life. “You just seem a bit, I don’t know, out of sorts. We don’t have to play like this, if you don’t want. I’m totally okay with not doing these kinds of things with you.” _I’m totally okay with normally-boring vanilla sex because I_ love _you._

“No no Lena-- I’m having a good time! Really!”

“Yeah? Because we can stop. Or do something different. Are we going too fast? Do you want to slow down? Or take a break?”

Suddenly Kara places firm hands on Lena’s hips and flips her over. Lena gasps. She had thought it would be at least a month before Kara might top her, and only if Lena specifically asked.

“If you’ve done something you shouldn’t have, Miss Luthor, it’s okay, I won’t punish you too hard.”

 _Oh my God does she have experience with this???_ “Not too hard, please. But a little hard, I hope?”

“I might not punish you at all, in fact, I probably would be understanding... I could even _help_ you, Lena, if you’d let me.”

“Oh Miss Kara, please... It would _help_ me so much if you would punish me.”

“Um, uh... yeah? Ah... I know you didn’t mean to be bad, Lena.”

“I didn’t, I didn’t mean it, please don’t punish me too hard, Miss Kara.” Lena wiggles her butt enticingly, and can’t help but breathe faster.

“Oh no, oh no Lena, I would never,” Kara reassures her, turning Lena around again and pulling her into a horizontal hug.

 _No, no, that’s not what you’re supposed to say next--_ “I mean, of course you should punish me, Miss Kara, I’ve been a _super_ bad girl. I need to be taught a _super_ hard lesson.” Lena tries to loosen Kara’s hold and reposition herself.

But she stops herself when Kara pulls away and raises herself up onto her haunches, placing her hand softly on Lena’s cheek. “No, no, Lena. I... It’s not bad that you wanted to hide your mom from me. I understand, she’s your mom, for Rao’s sake. I didn’t know Lillian is such a great actress is all. I mean, Bulgaria?”

 _Um, what?_ “Kara? Are we still playing what I think we’re playing?”

“Playing? I don’t know what you mean, Lena.”

“What do _you_ mean, Kara? About... about my mom?” Lena feels like she’s going to self-destruct. _This_ cannot _be happening. It’ll make an even more pathetic villain origin story if my_ girlfriend _takes my mommy away._

“Alex said... she said...”

Lena tenses and represses a scream. Nothing Alex Danvers says ever bodes well for her.

“... she told me that Lillian was pretending to be Zelda, but I didn’t want to believe her because I _know_ you, I know you’re good, Lena. I’ve always known. Well, not always, I mean not right exactly the first moment I _met_ you, haha, because Clark was a bit of a bad influence on me, but _real_ soon after that...”

Kara smiles sheepishly, and Lena can’t help but think how adorable she is, and how much she wants to do unspeakable things to her, but unfortunately Kara keeps talking, and, she loves when Kara talks usually but she’s talking about Lena’s _mom--_

“... I don’t blame you for wanting to help her, Lena. I understand what it’s like to have a family member do horrible things. They’re still family, you still want to protect them. Zelda-- I mean Lillian, haha, geez, wishful thinking, right? Lillian _will_ have to go to jail, but I’ll make sure _you_ don’t get in trouble, Lena.”

“Kara--” Lena bolts upright on the bed. “Lillian... she escaped. Back at the warehouse. Zelda, she--”

“Lena...” Kara cradles Lena’s face in her hands. “I saw Lillian in the van you were driving. Then when I got there she was gone.”

Lena closes her eyes.

“I told myself I’d imagined her, because I wanted to believe you. But--”

“Kara,” breathes Lena. “I know this looks bad. But it’s not what it looks like.”

“Okay,” Kara says softly. “What is it like?”

Maybe she can convince her girlfriend her mom _fooled_ her into believing she has amnesia, and when Kara leaves call Lillian to put on her kerchief and sunglasses and flee the building, and oh God she’ll need to call and distract the desk clerk as well, and when Kara pops back in to say _she’s not there_ shrug her shoulders and give her the poker face, and after she and Kara kiss goodnight swiftly smuggle her mom off to Morocco, and text and Skype and visit on long weekends--

“Lena... when I said I didn’t want any secrets between us, I... I meant I will support you. In everything,” Kara says sweetly, and lovingly strokes Lena’s hair.

Lena lets out a ragged breath. “Kara... I... I knocked her out at the warehouse. When she came to... she couldn’t remember _anything._ Well, she could remember how to make pancakes and cook steak, like, really great-- and she retained her medical knowledge and other skills-- but she didn’t remember anything she’d done, or who anyone was, aside from Stevie Wonder, or... Kara, she wasn’t the cold, calculating hardass I’d known my whole life. Well, she _is_ still a hardass when it comes to yoga but it’s been good for me, I’ve made so much progress in the last three weeks!”

Kara rubs Lena’s back while she rambles on. “Kara, Lillian was nice! She was-- _is_ a good person. She delivered a baby. For free. She hugged me. A bunch of times! She _loves_ me. She’s... she’s everything I ever wanted in a mother, and I can’t... I can’t let her go. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lied to you, Kara. I’m so sorry.”

Lena swipes at the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. _This is_ not _the type of fluid discharge I was hoping for tonight._ “She’s not the same person anymore. If you had known her, I mean _really_ known her before, you would know she’s a totally different person now, a sweet, kind, _caring_ person, and I couldn’t bear to give her up. For so long I wanted her love and attention and I _never once_ got it. And... suddenly there she was, worried I was sick, offering me snacks, telling me I was beautiful--”

Kara nods vigorously, palms Lena’s cheeks, and uses her thumbs to gently wipe away the escaping tears.

“It’s not just for me,” Lena sobs. “I know I’m being selfish wanting to keep her, keep her for myself. But it’s not fair to her either, to go to prison for things she doesn’t remember doing, and _wouldn’t_ do now. She wouldn’t even have hurt that fly, except Alana kind of forced her hand. Well, not forced per se, but she did it to protect me. Because her verbal ad-libbing needs work.”

Kara runs her fingers through Lena’s hair, and tries to make sense of all this. “Ah... so, Lillian... she... she really _is_ that person who taught me the Bulgarian pancake flipping technique? I mean, I know her name’s not really Zelda, and she’s still _physically_ the same person who did all those terrible things, but, like, you mean mentally... she’s like some other person?”

“Yes! It’s almost like she... she...”

“Had a lobotomy?”

“Yes!” exclaims Lena. She gives Kara a small smile... which quickly vanishes with her next thought. “Kara, I... I understand if you’re angry with me. I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore.”

Kara’s eyes grow wide. In answer, she crashes into Lena’s lips. Lena can’t help but pull back.

“I know I don’t deserve you, Kara. I lied to you, over and over, and--”

Kara shakes her head, “I understand why you did it, Lena. I can’t blame you at all. I’m not mad. I still want to be with you, Lena, I still feel the same way. I lo-- _ah,_ really, really, _really_ care for you. _So_ much!”

Lena breathes a little easier, and wipes at her eyes. “What happens now?”

Kara smiles at her brightly. “You can teach me that game, if you want.”

Lena looks at her in confusion. “Game?”

“The one we were playing just now? I want to please you, Lena.”

Lena resumes crying softly. Kara puts her arms around her and holds her tight.

“I want to please you, too, Kara.” Lena’s voice cracks. “But what will happen to my mom?”

“Nothing, if I can help it. I promise. Please don’t worry. We’ll brainstorm later and figure it out.” Kara kisses Lena’s cheek, then down her jawline. “But right now... I promised I would make it up to you, Lena. I have tonight totally off, for once in _forever,_ and I want to _be_ with you. The way you want to be with me.”

Lena pulls out of Kara’s embrace just enough to look into her eyes. “Kara, I’ve been with a lot of women. But my heart was never in it before. It... it is now.” She sniffles, and dabs at her eyes, but then smiles, feeling safe. “We don’t have to do anything weird, I’m not kinky _all_ the time, ha! We can do whatever you want. I just want to be with you.”

“Lena... I... I haven’t been with any women before.” Kara blushes. “And I don’t _want_ to be with any.”

“Was I that terrible just now that I’ve turned you off from girls forever?” Lena jokes, and tickles Kara’s belly.

Kara squeals, then laughs. “Quit it! Just because I’m impervious to pain doesn’t mean I’m not highly sensitive in other ways.”

Lena giggles, but withdraws her hand.

“I meant that... I don’t want to be with anyone else. I just want to be with you, too.” Kara grins, and pretends to reach out to tickle her back.

Lena lurches backward to evade tickles, but when Kara doesn’t pursue her, she leans into Kara’s grin with her own, and kisses her.

Kara laughs suddenly, and pulls away from Lena just enough to say, “I’m going to show you how _amazing_ vanilla sex can be.”

Lena’s eyes shine as she looks into Kara’s. “You don’t have to show me anything, Kara. Anything is amazing with you. It’s wonderful just to be with you. _Screw_ the vibrator.” She laughs, so happy.

“Um...” Kara gives her a confused look. “What’s a vibrator?”

*****

The next morning, Kara bounces into the DEO wearing her Super suit and her most confident, cocky, I’m gonna-lie-to-your-face-and-not-feel-guilty-about-it-even-though-I-totally-do! smirk.

“Zelda is for real, Alex. You were wrong, sorry to say.” _Yay! I have a girlfriend! A sexy girlfriend! A lovely girlfriend, whom I lo--_

Alex looks up from a microscope to stare at her in surprise. “You grilled Lena?”

“Mercilessly.” _The talking was tough, but afterward we pretended she was evil and had a secret sex lair and Rao, was that fun._

Alex’s lips form a thin line, and she places her hands on her hips. “Okay. I believe you.”

“You do?” _Whew._

“Sure. The problem is you believe the best about everybody, Kara. You’re easily fooled. Especially by her. Luthor’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

“Excuse me?!? I am _not_ easily fooled, I’m Supergirl! And Lena does _not_ have me wrapped around her finger,” Kara huffs. _Please._

“Fine. Some other body part, then.”

Kara starts to protest, but Alex waves her words away. “I don’t want to know. Okay, here’s what we’ll do. Invite Luthor’s _Aunt Zelda_ to game night. Let the rest of us meet her. If she has nothing to hide, neither she nor Luthor should have a problem with it.”

“That’s a great idea, let’s do it. The sooner the better. This Friday sound good?” Kara stares Alex down, her confidence barely shaken.

Alex is taken aback. “Um... yeah. Sounds good. Wow. I thought you would fight me on this.”

“Not at all, I’d love to clear things up as soon as possible.” Kara gives her another obnoxious... _sneer,_ almost, then turns on her heel and swooshes out the door, as Alex watches her go, confused as to what just happened.

Has Kara been infected by some less potent, just-be-snotty-with-your-sister version of red kryptonite?

*****

Kara doesn't go far, just to the balcony, where she stands staring out onto the city.

J’onn will be at a conference in Washington, D.C. on Friday, through the weekend. The timing is perfect. All Lillian has to do is convince everyone else she's Zelda. And she had convinced Kara with ease-- maybe she _had_ put some sort of magic convincing potion in that Bulgarian pancake batter? Maybe, just maybe, the Superfriends won’t think to tell J’onn about Zelda afterward.

Because J’onn and his mind-peeping prowess would be their doom.

And Kara had promised Lena. And she lo-- _likes_ Lena. And Lena loves her mom. Kara _has_ to protect them. She laughs. She’s going to protect the woman who tortured her, who stole her blood and tried to kill all the aliens in National City, who hurt Lena, who... who _loves_ Lena. Who had fed Kara pancakes, and happily obliged when Kara asked her to make two dozen more. Who'd thought Kara’s favorite puppy pajamas, in Extra Long, would make a fine choice of evening wear.

Kara sighs, then places her hands on her hips in her best Supergirl stance. Pupppyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy... power!

They can _totally_ pull this off.

*****

Rain pelts Lena’s windows as she and Kara prep Lillian on alternative facts.

Lena has written up a full bio for Lillian, her real, past life, which as Lillian’s sister Zelda will be expected to know, as well as a fabricated life in Chicago.

Because no one but sweet, innocent Kara would fall for the Bulgaria act.

Even though Lillian’s lost her personal memory, the part of her brain that controls learning is working top-notch. She memorizes all the information quickly, easily, although not without tears upon hearing the details of her villainous past.

Lena is gentle with her, but urges her to focus on the task at hand. “Please, Mom. Let’s run through it just one more time.”

They go over it for the twenty-seventh time, Kara taking turns pretending to be each of the Superfriends, trying to catch Lillian in a lie.

Finally Lillian has had enough...

“Enough! I’m going downstairs.” She reaches over and gives Lena’s cheek a kiss, then strides to the foyer and puts on her shoes. “Don’t stay up too late,” she admonishes her daughter, subtly motioning toward Kara.

 _“Bye,_ Mom.” Lena gives Lillian a glare, but also a slight wave, as she watches her mom go.

Kara giggles once the door has shut. “Your mom is considerate. Giving us _alone time.”_

Lena snorts. “She just wants grandkids.”

“Is that so?” purrs Kara. She hooks her arms around Lena’s neck, leans in and breathes in her ear. “You think I’m going to give you children, Miss Luthor?”

Lena smirks. “I’m under no such illusions, Miss Danvers. But Mom obviously forgot the birds-and-the-bees talk _her_ mom gave her, and I haven’t had time to give it yet.”

Kara nibbles on Lena’s earlobe and gently edges her backward toward the hallway. “You know, on Krypton we never got the birds-and-the-bees talk, either. Babies were created in a birthing matrix, so... I’m not really sure how things are done here on Earth, exactly.”

“Are you not?” Lena grins, her fingers grazing the skin under the waistband of Kara’s pants.

“I’d love to learn, though...”

They reach the open bedroom, and suddenly Lena slightly pulls away, and gently knocks her own head against the door frame.

“Lena!” gasps Kara. “Are you--”

But Lena turns on her with a devilish smile. “Oh my gosh! My memory! It’s gone! Only the birds-and-the-bees talk, though...”

Kara snickers. “How convenient.”

“Kara! Let’s try to make a baby! And since we don’t know how exactly, we might have to keep trying _all night long.”_ Lena backs Kara into the room and up against the bed.

“Into the morning, actually,” Kara adds, flopping down onto the bed, pulling Lena with her.

They land in a pile of arms and legs and giggles. “The _whole_ morning. I’m the boss, and I can’t recall the last time I took a sick day.”

“I can call in sick, too! Cough, cough!” Kara squeaks.

“Oh no! You’re sick! You need proper TLC, Kara. I’ll need to stay home all day to _take care of_ you. Darn!” exclaims Lena, liberating a button from Kara’s slacks.

“Shucks!” agrees Kara. “Heavens to Betsy!”

“That’s a new one. Even for you,” Lena says, smiling and looking up briefly from her perch on Kara’s panties. 

But only briefly.

*****

Moonlight shines through the window, alighting on Lena and Kara as they lie in bed, cuddling and catching their breath. Rain still falls, but softly, in a gentle patter. Billie Holiday's rendition of "Ain't Misbehavin'" plays softly on Lena's iPod.

“I'm probably going to have to go under the sunlamps in the morning, you wore me out, Miss Luthor.”

“Did I now?” Lena tightens her hold on her girlfriend.

“Lena?”

“Yeah?”

Kara hesitates, then shakes her head briefly. “Forget it, it was nothing.”

“No, what is it, Kara?”

Kara starts to say something, then stills.

“Do I need to tickle you again?”

Kara giggles. “Don’t you dare.”

“Well, then...”

Kara expels a lungful of air. “Do you... do you not... _want_ kids?”

Lena sighs. “Up until a month ago... I haven’t exactly had good parental role models, Kara. I don’t know if I could be a good mom.”

Kara turns around in Lena’s arms to look at her. “I think you’d make a great mom. Sometimes not having the thing gives you the motivation to _be_ the thing.”

Lena is quiet, thinking.

Kara continues, twisting her finger in a strand of Lena’s slightly sweaty hair. “I’ve always wanted a dog.”

“Dogs are sweet,” Lena agrees, glad to be off the topic of children.

“If I got a dog... could I... could I maybe bring it over with me on date nights?” Kara asks hesitantly.

Lena smirks at her. “I wouldn’t exactly kick either of you out, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“What if I got a puppy and... and it... had an accident? Would you be mad?”

“Why would I get mad at a puppy for doing puppy things?”

“I don’t know... I’m just wondering. I’m just thinking what it would be like if... We could... we could get the puppy _together_ , even.”

Lena grins, and kisses the tip of Kara’s nose. “Moving at super speed, are we, Miss Danvers?”

“Raising a puppy together is a good first step to having a baby together.”

Lena arches an eyebrow.

“I’m just trying to appease your mom, is all. Besides, you _love_ it when I move at _super speed,_ Miss Luthor.” Kara smirks, and wiggles her fingers suggestively.

Lena matches Kara's smirk with her own. “Good thing I didn’t waste money on another vibrator.” She grips Kara’s hips and flips them around.

Kara squeals. “No tickling!”

“I can’t promise anything.” Lena nips at Kara’s stomach, and slowly makes her way up her torso.

“Good thing I’ve got my second wind.” Kara sighs. “I surrender. Do your worst, Miss Luthor!”

Lena pauses on her way up. “I plan to, _Supergirl.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much more Lillian/Zelda next (and last) chapter. And the Superfriends at game night.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game night, and what happens to Lillian.

Game night arrives. Justin Timberlake tunes play on the stereo while Kara flits about her apartment, making sure everything’s ready for the umpteenth time.

Kara is _not_ nervous. Like, at all. Why should she be? _Pupppyyyyyyyyyyy power! The gang_ always _triumphed against each and every villain, it didn’t matter what guise they came in-- monster, ghost, ghoul, Alex..._

Alex and Maggie conspire in the kitchen while they tear open bags of snacks.

“I don’t know about you, Danvers, but I am _so_ ready to bust some butts tonight.” Maggie swipes her hand softly under her jacket, making contact with a pair of handcuffs hanging from her belt loop. “Did you bring yours?”

“Did I?” Alex shoves the bottom of her sweater aside to reveal not one, but two pairs of cuffs hanging from her pants. “I love you, babe, but back off. Luthor is mine because she’s been lying to my sister. Lillian Luthor is mine because she _tortured_ my sister.”

Maggie releases an indignant laugh. “Really? I don’t get _anything_ in this?”

 _“You,”_ says Alex while rubbing her girlfriend’s arm, “get the most fun part. You get to laugh in their faces while I’m cuffing them behind their backs.”

“Well, when you put it like that...” Maggie shrugs her shoulders and grins.

Kara bounds over, having overheard, not on purpose of course. “Excuse me?!? What’s all this talk about arresting people? Neither of you has even _met_ Lena’s aunt. And let’s not forget, Maggie, you _falsely_ arrested Lena, which you _promised_ you would apologize for, or have you forgotten?”

“I will _definitely_ apologize to her. As soon as she gets here. And then arrest her again as soon as she or _Zelda_ tip their hand.” Maggie smirks. “Oh, sorry babe, I mean, read her her rights as _you_ arrest her.”

“I suppose I’m good with sharing the wealth.” Alex shrugs. “Sorry, sis. I know you want to believe in your girlfriend, but... you’ll thank me someday when you have an _honest_ girlfriend.”

“Oh! You... urrrrrrggggggh!” Kara exhales the air from her lungs, glad Snapper isn’t here to witness her continued inability to think of snappy comebacks.

Winn and James step back as Kara stomps by them and into the living room.

“Yeaaaaaahh, Kara’s a little too trusting to notice when her friends are lying, but I’m definitely not.”

James sighs. “I know, right? Luthor’s really done a number on her.”

*****

Out in the hall, Lena and Lillian pause in front of Kara’s door, Lena holding a bottle of wine, and Lillian a casserole.

“Mom. Take off the sunglasses and kerchief. We don’t need them knowing you’re walking around incognito.”

Lillian takes off her disguise.

“Remember. No ad-libbing this time, promise? I know things might come up that we didn’t prepare for, but try to stick to the script as much as possible.” Lena glances down at the label on the bottle of wine, the kind Lillian had specifically asked her to get. _Fuck. Is this Bulgarian wine?_

“Don’t worry dear, I’ll do as you ask.”

Lena snorts, and knocks on the door. “Chicago, Mom. _Chicago.”_ She beams as the door swings open to the dazzling sight of her gorgeous girlfriend, with her sparkling smile, her sapphire eyes, her soft lips just waiting to be kissed, her golden hair just begging to have hands-- _Get it together Lena, you lovestruck fool!_

“Lena!’ Kara exclaims, as if she’s surprised. “And Zelda! Hello!” She moves aside to let them enter the apartment, putting her hand on the small of Lena’s back and whispering in her ear. “Don’t worry, babe. We can totally pull this off.”

Not noticing Kara cross her fingers behind her back, Lena swivels her head to give Kara’s cheek a kiss, then turns back to the sudden, unwelcome appearance of the disapproving frown of Alex Danvers. Lena suppresses a shudder.

 _“Miss Luthor._ Nice to see you again.”

“Lovely to see you, Agent Danvers.”

_“Alex.”_

_“Lena.”_

They hold each other’s murderous glares, and it occurs to Lena that each is doing her best impression of Supergirl using her heat vision to melt an enemy’s face off. _Not as if Supergirl would ever do such a thing, unless, on a different Earth, perhaps, Alex Danvers was_ Lena’s _exasperating older sister..._

Kara groans at this sister/lover pissing contest and nudges Lillian into the line of fire. “Alex, this is--”

“Zelda!” exclaims Maggie, bounding up to them like a guard dog spotting a human chew toy. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

Lena glances at Kara, but Kara shakes her head.

Before Lillian can reply, Maggie turns toward Lena. “Luthor... so nice to meet you under different circumstances. At least, I _hope_ they’re different?” she adds with a smirk. “I’m so sorry for the false arrest. Pitfalls of the job, you know?” She cocks her head.

Lena just wants to punch her and her snotty smile. And then punch Alex in her frowny face. Then grab Kara and Lillian and abscond with them to the waiting Moroccan apartment, which _could_ function as a secret sex lair, but not with Lillian present. _I really should’ve bought a duplex._ Lena gives Maggie her widest, most fake polite smile. “Detective Sawyer. No trouble at all. It was an honest mistake.”

“It was. I felt just horrible about it. Just as I would’ve if I’d seen your _aunt_ on the street and wrongly arrested her for attempted mass murder.” Maggie gives Lena another insincere grin.

“I’m sure we would have cleared things up immediately,” returns Lena coolly, then turns to her--

 _Mom... is not here._ She scans the apartment, her gaze resting on James interrogating her mother in the living room.

“A yoga instructor? Uh, okay,” says James. “Couldn’t you do that anywhere? Why Bulgaria?”

Lena clenches her fists as she strides over to join them. _How many times must I warn her about ad-libbing..._

“For love, of course,” answers Lillian.

“Love, nice. Did your... husband? And you... have children?”

“No, I’ve never had children of my own, sadly.”

Lena cuts in. “Which is why she nags me so much. _Sadly.”_

Lillian smiles at Lena. “Lena and I are very close. She’s _like_ my child. My poor smol bean, as I believe your generation puts it.”

 _“Aunt Zelda,”_ hisses Lena, mortified.

“How long have you been living in Lena’s building?” demands Alex, as she and Maggie enter the living room carrying containers of takeout. Kara trails after them with wine glasses and a frown.

“When my niece moved to National City she bought both apartments and invited me to move in downstairs, since I was lonely in Bulgaria after my husband died.”

“That was nice of her,” admits Maggie.

“Sooooooo... you were here when your sister tried to nuke alien nation, huh.” Winn flops down onto the couch.

“I was quite surprised to hear of it. I hadn’t spoken to my sister in many years.”

“Oh really?” Maggie leans forward. “Why is that?”

Lillian laughs gaily. “Oh, _sisters._ Can’t stand one another. You know how it is.”

“No.” Alex narrows her eyes. “I don’t.”

 _“I_ kind of do,” mutters Kara.

 _“I_ do,” blurts out Maggie. “Can’t blame anyone who can’t stand Luthor.”

A flicker of pain crosses Lillian’s eyes, but she quickly shuts it down. Lena slides her hand to Lillian’s back, out of sight of everyone, and gives her a quick rub.

“I mean your mom, not you, Luthor,” Maggie explains, giving Lena an almost sympathetic look. _“You’re_ actually kind of cool, dude.”

Alex gives her girlfriend a dirty look, then focuses her disapproval once more on Lillian. “How do you get by with people thinking you’re Lillian Luthor? I mean, you look _exactly_ like her.”

“Really?” Lillian’s eyebrow shoots up. “Mother always said I was the prettier one.”

Winn grins. “They _do_ say a mother can always tell her twins apart, like, heyyyyy! _Your_ nose is a half centimeter more crooked.”

Alex smirks. “Crooked. Yes. Apt choice of words.”

Lillian smiles at her. “But to answer your question, I don’t go out much. I’m quite the homebody.”

“Your skin is tanned.”

“Yoga on the balcony every morning.”

There’s an awkward silence. Alex and Lillian bore holes into each other’s skulls, Lillian with a polite smile and Alex with what could pass for fangs. Maggie glances between her girlfriend and 'Zelda' with amusement at this point. Winn and James exchange the-girls-are-gonna-start-a-catfight-should-we-run? looks. Kara watches protectively over the Luthors, while Lena stares at her mom, hoping and praying to a god she doesn’t really believe in not to let Lillian slip up. _And_ please _stop talking about Bulgaria._

“Well, we should get started, so we actually get somewhere tonight.” James turns to Lena and Lillian, gesturing to the coffee table, as laden with papers and pencils and game dice as it is with food and drink. “As you can see, we’re set up for Dungeons & Dragons tonight. We’re in the middle of an adventure, but we’ll help you two create your own characters, and you can join us.”

Lena snorts. “I’ve played before.”

“Yeaahhhh, of course you have. High five!” Winn holds his open palm up to Lena.

She looks at him briefly. _Jerk-off. You helped me fix my black body field generator, you_ know _I’m not evil. Yet here you are, being Alex Danvers’ bitch._

They were never going to be her friends. They would always only be Kara’s. Lena sighs, then picks up two pieces of paper marked 'Character Sheet' from the coffee table, as well as a couple pencils and two twenty-sided dice. She hands one of each to her mom. “Well, let’s get rolling.”

*****

“I’m the Dungeon Master,” explains James to Lillian. “So any action you want to take, you’ll have to run by me.”

“Yeah,” Alex chimes in. “So, for instance, if you want to use a weapon to eradicate a whole _monster race,_ you’ll have to ask James first.” She tries to give Lillian a pointed stare, avoiding Kara’s glare, but Lillian is already enthusiastically rolling her die and entering the resulting number on her sheet of paper, in a box marked 'Intelligence.'

“You have to pick a race first,” cautions James. “There are four races-- human, halfling, elf and dwarf. But, um, Zelda, you probably couldn’t stomach being anything other than human.” He laughs at his own joke, and Winn gives him a high five.

“Heavens no, I’d love to be something else. An elf sounds like great fun!” Lillian claps her hands with glee.

*****

Lillian creates an elf, a wizard who knows several spells (James starts the Luthors off at higher levels so they are more on par with the rest of the adventuring party). She chooses a Lawful Good moral alignment for her character, believing in always doing the right thing-- turning down James’s suggestion to perhaps choose Chaotic Good, very popular among elves apparently.

”Orrrrrr... do any of the three _evil_ alignments happen to catch your fancy?” suggests Winn. Kara shoots him a dirty look. “Whaaaat?" Winn defends himself. “I just think _Zelda_ should be aware of all the possibilites.”

Lena (a human wizard) _does_ decide to go with Chaotic Good, earning a snort from Alex (which earns Alex a soft kick from Kara). Lena cites the importance of following your personal beliefs instead of giving in to the expectations of others, as well as the number of Chaotic Good unicorns she’d run across in her playing days, as justification for her choice.

“But they’re unicorns,” argues Alex. “How dare you compare yourself to a unicorn!”

Lena ignores her, and turns to a snickering Winn. “A dwarf, huh?” She smirks.

 _“Only_ because we already had a human, a halfling, and an elf in the party!” he seethes.

*****

Lena notices James has an unfortunate tendency to have the monster in any encounter attack Lillian first...

“Okay... so you enter the cave and out bursts a Werebear...”

“A where what?” asks Lillian.

“Werebear. Like a werewolf. But a bear,” explains James. “The Werebear puts its arms around you and hugs you.”

“Well, wonderful. I’ll hug it back.”

Alex, Maggie and Winn laugh. James clarifies. “Actually, it hugs you to... squash the life out of you, basically. I need you to roll for damage.”

Lillian loses most of her hit points, so the party is forced to rest and wait for her to recover before venturing on.

“Can’t we just leave her to die?” mutters Alex. “Ow! Dammit, Kara!”

*****

The next morning (in game time) the party enters a dungeon.

“A Doppelgänger emerges from a door. This shape-shifting creature sees _you, Zelda,_ and immediately turns into an exact copy of you.”

“Juuuuuuust, not as pretty,” jokes Winn. Kara uses her super speed to reposition herself and kicks him, too. “Ow!” He and Alex exchange glances.

James continues. “Now it attacks you, Zelda, hoping to kill you and take your place in the traveling party and gain the advantage of surprise to kill them, too.”

“I really don’t wish to harm it.”

Lena whispers in Lillian’s ear. Lillian continues, “I’d like to have you check the creature’s Morale, to see if it will surrender or run away.”

“You can’t tell another player what her character should do,” chides Alex.

“Sure I can. Especially when everyone and the Dungeon Master is ganging up on her, yeah, I think I can help a _new player_ out.” Lena returns Alex’s glare.

James rolls his die. “Huh. Okay. The Doppelgänger panics and runs away.”

“Wonderful.”

“Of course... that means there’s someone who, heh, looks just like you still running around. It might attempt to come back and trick your traveling companions if you happen to get separated from them.”

“That’s fine. I’ll let them know I have an evil twin running around and to be on the lookout for her.” Lillian winks, clearly enjoying herself.

“Sooooo... does 'Zelda' not want to hurt her sister?” whispers Winn. “Orrrrr... she doesn’t want to hurt _herself?_ Eh?”

Maggie shrugs. “It’s just a stupid game, Winn.”

*****

They come upon another door, nothing out of the ordinary, just a plain old door like all the others...

“Zelda,” says James, and Lena rolls her eyes. “Would you like to open the door?”

 _“I’ll_ open it,” interjects Maggie. “I’m going to check for a trap first, though.”

James exhales, Winn blows a raspberry, and Alex looks at her girlfriend and mouths, “No sex tonight.”

“I’m a halfling rogue, I’m skilled at discovering traps and picking locks and such,” Maggie explains to Lillian. “Can’t let you go getting your fingers blown off, or worse.”

James rolls a die, but starts talking before the number even comes up. “No, no trap, no explosion, you’re all good.” He sighs.

Lena shoots Maggie a grin, which she returns. Alex stabs a potsticker.

"Hey!" exclaims Kara. "That's mine!"

*****

They break into a monster’s lair, looking for treasure, and the monster attacks them. Kara, a human fighter, scores major hit points.

“I’m dying... dying...” James moans in a monster voice, clearly relishing his role as Dungeon Master.

Lillian turns to Alex, an elf cleric. “Alex, you still have a turn. Can you use your 'healing prayer' to help him?”

“Ah... why would I _want_ to?” Alex asks, her eyebrows raised to the heavens. “He’s a monster!”

“Yes, but he still deserves to live.”

Alex’s jaw drops. “He _attacked_ us.” 

“Only because we entered his lair without permission. It was self defense.”

“Ah? Yes, I do see your point.” Alex looks at her girlfriend in amazement. Maggie smiles and rubs Alex’s back.

*****

James checks his watch. They really should wrap up and divide the treasure soon. Just one more attack...

“So, a goblin suddenly rushes into the room, and it attacks you, Zelda.”

“Of course it does,” sneers Lena.

James ignores her. "Please roll for damage, Zelda.”

Lillian rolls a '1.' “Well, that’s lucky.” She smiles. “Is it my turn?”

“Uh... sure. You can use your 'stone blood' spell to slow its movement.”

“That sounds sufficient. How does it work?”

“It hardens the victim’s blood.”

“That sounds painful.”

“It is. Of course it is. So, um, roll your die, and let’s see how much damage you cause.”

“No, no, let’s not do that. What else could I do in this situation?”

“You could use your 'freezing burst' spell. It causes an explosion of ice and cold that could ensnare the goblin, if you roll high enough.”

“Very well, let’s try that, then.”

“It _also_ damages the goblin,” supplies Alex.

“Does it? Heavens no, that won’t do.”

“Pretty much any spell you cast is going to cause damage, that’s the point.”

“Well then, there’s only one thing left to do.”

The others wait in anticipation.

“I challenge the goblin to a dance-off.”

Everyone’s jaw drops. Especially Lena’s.

“You, ah, what now?” Alex’s eyes are as wide as flying saucers.

James recovers from his shock quickly enough. “Okay, I’m going to need you to roll and check the number against your Dexterity score.”

“Dexterity score my ass,” interjects Maggie. “I gotta _see_ this.”

“Yeah, I’ll go with that,” agrees James. “In order to determine the success of that action I’ll need to see a physical demonstration. A _Bulgarian_ dance would probably work best, in my professional Dungeon Master opinion.”

“Oh. Yes, of course. Surely.” Lillian sets down her wine glass and gets up off the couch.

Lena flinches. She knew letting her mom prattle on about Bulgaria was a huge mistake. Now Lillian’s going to expose herself, that she’s never been to Bulgaria at all, and after that it’ll be a short mental leap to her lying about looking just a tad prettier than the woman who tried to wipe out the city’s entire alien population. They’re probably going to have to flee the apartment in a minute. Lena closes her fingers around an unopened beer can, ready to start banging.

But if Lillian’s never been to Bulgaria no one’s ever told _her._ She’s suddenly all legs and feet, stepping and kicking, hopping and zigzagging down an imaginary line in the room, somehow rhythmically in sync with Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” playing on Kara’s stereo.

 _Why oh why did it have to be_ this _song?_ Lena cringes inwardly. _Now I’ll_ never _be able to play this when Kara or I pretend to misbehave._

Winn’s jaw drops. “For once, I have nooooooo words. At all.”

Maggie grins. _“I_ do. Zelda is cool, man.”

“That earns _major_ experience points,” says Kara with admiration.

James shakes his head. “Any lingering doubts I had are gone.”

Lillian suddenly yells, “Now you! Up, everyone! Form a circle and hold hands!”

Kara jumps up to join her, grabbing Lena’s hand and pulling her up as well. Alex barely has time to pick _her_ jaw up from the floor before her girlfriend sets down a beer and hauls her up, too.

*****

Out in the hallway, J’onn knocks at Kara’s door, sighing and glancing at his watch. At least he didn’t _totally_ miss game night.

He can hear music and laughter, and-- shouting?-- coming from inside. Trying the door, he finds it open, and enters...

To the sight of his friends and colleagues, and... Lena Luthor?-- buzzed off their tits, holding hands, engaged in some circular Slavic wedding dance, Alex and Maggie both with about a yard of paper towels pinned to their hair in what look suspiciously like bargain basement bridal veils. He edges closer, the circle rotates, and he can see-- _Lillian Luthor???_ \-- jigging a solo number in the middle of the circle, while simultaneously blowing into a kazoo apparently fashioned out of a Chinese takeout container.

He’s about to summon all of his outrage and authority, but... he cannot pick up _any_ trace of malevolence coming from Lillian Luthor. In fact, she seems to only be wondering what gift she’ll bring to the eventual _actual_ wedding, and fantasizing about gently shoving her daughter into the path of the bouquet toss.

From the daughter he can pick up... slight feelings of guilt, sneakiness-- and the words _“You go Mom!”_ as well-- but also feelings of deep contentment and... love.

Mixed with fear that she will lose everything important to her.

J’onn sighs. Another unfair challenge for Space Dad with his kind-hearted, misguided, problematic space kids and their friends.

He watches Kara glance over, see him, and trip over her own feet, causing the dance circle to collapse in on itself as she falls to the floor and brings everyone down with her.

“J’onn! I thought you were in D.C.?!?” Kara squeaks, and lets go of Lena’s and Winn’s hands. Lena stares up at J’onn with a look of familiarity, without quite being able to place him.

“I left early. All those boring blowhard directors of secret governmental organizations in one room...” J’onn approaches Lena as she clumsily gets back on her feet.

He finds himself immediately headed off by Kara’s spazzing arms, going a mile a minute, like she’s trying to direct air traffic, or wave down a pizza delivery drone. “J’onn, please, it’s not what it looks like, I can explain, I--”

But J’onn steps aside to stare down Lena. “Miss Luthor. Might I have a word with you in private?”

Lena looks at Kara with confusion.

“Lena, this is... Director Henshaw. Of the DEO. That... organization you... signed those forms for?” Kara winces.

“Yes, we’ve met,” says Lena, trying to act as professional as possible while wearing a potsticker bag atop her head in an approximation of a party hat. Coolly, she holds out a hand for J’onn to shake. “It’s lovely to meet you formally, Director, under different circumstances. Please believe me when I say I will protect Kara’s secret with my life.”

“I believe you,” declares J’onn. “That’s not the issue, unfortunately. Will you step out with me into the hallway?”

Kara gulps, but Lena smiles, unshaken. “Of course. Whatever I can do to help.”

*****

“Your mother has changed a great deal, I see,” J’onn says reluctantly.

Lena lets out a crazed laugh. “My mother? Director Henshaw, you’re mistaken. That’s my aunt, my Aunt Zelda. My--”

“I _know_ she’s your mother,” J’onn interrupts, but not unkindly.

Lena’s breath hitches. “She’s my aunt, my mom’s twin sister, she--”

J’onn continues as if Lena hadn’t said anything. “I can’t tell you how I know, but I know.”

“You don’t know _anything,”_ hisses Lena. “Working for a secret governmental organization doesn’t give you the right to make unfounded accusations.” _It certainly doesn’t give you the ability to know my mother has amnesia and has been living in my downstairs apartment!_

“Miss Luthor. Let’s not make this more unpleasant than it needs to be. I know your mother has amnesia and has been living in your downstairs apartment.”

Lena’s eyes grow wide with shock and fear. How in the world--

“Kara didn’t tell me,” J’onn says reassuringly. “She loves you. She would never betray you.”

 _Kara loves me?!?_ Lena’s heart leaps and she has to shove it back down. _Not the time, Lena!_

“If Kara didn’t tell you-- and I believe you that she didn’t-- and you don’t have illegal recording devices set up in my apartments-- which I know you don’t, since I’m _very_ thorough in my housekeeping-- then, the only way you could know is... if...”

The look on J’onn’s face lets Lena know she’s right.

“If you can read minds so expertly, then you can tell she’s no longer the same person, with those cruel thoughts, those feelings, with those motivations--”

“Miss Luthor--” J’onn sighs. “May I please ask you to remove the paper bag from your head? This conversation is difficult enough as it is.”

Lena remembers herself, and quickly swipes the bag off her head, folding it up in her hands.

“What happens when she regains her memory?” J’onn continues. “And becomes the same person she was, and--”

“She won’t!” Lena lets out a strangled cry. “She will _never_ be that person again. She’s changed. She doesn’t deserve to go to prison for something she would never do again. For something she _didn’t_ do, really. Her consciousness is totally different, and that’s what defines an individual. Not their body. Their _consciousness.”_

“Philosophical questions aside, Miss Luthor, the law is the law, and in the eyes of the law she is the same person who broke it.”

Lena tenses, crumpling the paper bag in her hands, willing herself to calm down.

“Miss Luthor, it’s not that I don’t sympathize with your position. You care for your mother, you believe in her, that’s evident. But please put yourself in my position for a moment. If she _were_ to experience a spontaneous remission, would you really want to be held accountable for what she might do if she does feel the same? If she goes through with her initial plan to eradicate all aliens from National City? And then the world?”

“She won’t. I _know_ her. I trust her.”

“I know you do. But I cannot afford to.”

“Director--”

”Would you stake the lives of countless citizens solely on your belief?”

“Director Henshaw... I don’t know how else to persuade you but to assure you, you can hold me personally accountable for her behavior. And I would never let anything happen to the alien population. Just as I would never let anything happen to Kara,” Lena declares, blinking back tears.

“Miss Luthor, I might be persuaded to look the other way regarding the fact that you aided and abetted an escaped felon.” J’onn sighs. “But I’m sorry. Say your goodbyes. You have twenty-four hours to turn her in.”

“I will _not_ turn my mother over to you,” Lena hisses.

“Then you’ll leave me no choice but to come after you both.” J’onn nods. “Good evening.”

He re-enters the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Lena stands there with her heart in her throat, trembling, but needing to keep it together so she can go back inside and collect her mother.

The door opens again, and suddenly the warm body of her girlfriend wraps around her. “Lena-- ”

And Lena can’t help herself. She turns and breaks down in Kara’s arms.

*****

Kara manages to wait until her girlfriend, with apologies to all and red eyes, ushers a still tipsy and blissfully ignorant Lillian out the door. But not before Lillian is smothered with hugs and invites to _next_ game night by the four people who had been eager to roast her in soy sauce and dance around the ashes of her elegantly tall body just hours before.

The door has barely closed behind the Luthors before Kara jumps down J’onn’s throat. “J’onn, you can’t do this!”

“I am not doing anything but upholding the law, which I would remind you is _all_ of our jobs.”

“Our job is to do what’s right,” argues Kara. “And to lock Lillian away when she’s a totally different person now, that just isn’t right, J’onn. That’s following the letter of the law, and not what the law was meant to safeguard.”

“And what is that, Kara?” J’onn thunders. “To have a society where hardened criminals can claim not to remember their crimes, and get off scot-free?”

“But Lillian’s not pretending, you _know_ that, J’onn! You can _read her mind!_ You of all people should know!’”

“I _do_ know, I know she does not remember who she was, and what she did. But even dismissing the very real possibility she will backslide once she regains her memory... If we make an exception for one person, it will open the floodgates for any shrewd evil-doer to follow in her footsteps.”

“No one’s going to _purposely_ try to lose their memory, I mean, how is that even possible? You’d probably have to knock your head against your bedroom door frame a million times before--”

“People lie, Kara. Haven't you?”

“No one would need to know,” whimpers Kara. “No one knows Lillian’s here except us. J’onn, please... _please,_ we can keep her secret! And in the unlikely event she _does_ remember and becomes a bad person again, Supergirl could always swoop in and--”

“Are you suggesting we all become accomplices to aiding and abetting an escaped felon?” demands J’onn.

“Well technically she’s _not_ an escaped felon, she can’t be a felon when she was never even found guilty in the first place--”

“And we all know why that is.”

Kara grimaces, and is about to unleash a new argument, but J’onn shuts her down.

“I’ve given Miss Luthor twenty-four hours to turn her mother in. You are forbidden from associating with either of them until we have a resolution.”

“You can’t _forbid_ me to associate with my girlfriend or her mother,” Kara sputters indignantly.

J’onn crosses his arms over his chest. “Shall we bring this matter to Pam in HR for her professional opinion?”

Kara shudders. _Unfair._

J’onn sighs. “I know you love your girlfriend, but--”

“I mean, ah, I _like_ her! A whole bunch!” Kara squeaks. “We just started dating two weeks ago.”

J’onn smiles. “I might have let it slip that you love her. Sorry for letting the cat out of the bag.”

“Oh.” _Maybe we should get a dog_ and _a cat._ “How did she take it? Did she seem scared off at all?”

“She seemed pretty pleased, actually.”

Kara grins and sighs happily.

J’onn continues, “I can’t tell you her exact thoughts, of course.”

“Oh no, no no, of course you can’t,” agrees Kara. _Please tell me her exact thoughts! She was 'pretty pleased' as in, just sort of pleased? Or 'pretty pleased,' like, should I bring up that U-hauling company Alex was talking about?_

“But back to her mother...” J’onn raises his voice now. “And this goes for _all_ of you conspiring in _whispers_ in the living room. Did you forget I can _read your minds?”_

Suddenly the four Superfriends do their best impressions of super speed in their hurry to accost him, and J’onn finds four anxious talking heads in his face.

“Okay but just think of that _to----tally_ awesome brain on _our_ side!” implores Winn.

“In my professional Dungeon Master opinion,” begins James.

“You can’t go through with this, J’onn, you can’t!” pleads Alex. “It would be a travesty of all that’s good and right with the world!”

“Awww... my girlfriend’s getting so soft,” says Maggie, rubbing Alex’s arm.

“I am _not_ getting soft! But it’s Zeld-- _Lillian,_ I mean!”

“See?” roars J’onn. “You are all enamored of a person who doesn’t even exist!”

“This version of Lillian _does_ exist, J’onn, she’s as real as you or me,” argues Alex. “You _know_ me. I was the biggest proponent of throwing Lillian in jail and Kara heat-visioning the key. But J’onn, she’s really changed! _Really!_ I didn’t want to believe it, I was convinced she was lying through her perfectly-straight-and-oh-so-sockable teeth, but J’onn... nobody is _that_ good of an actress!”

J’onn sighs, and tries to get a handle on his blood pressure. “No one is saying Lillian Luthor is _acting_ like a good person. She may very well be a good person now. Let’s let the jury and the court decide.”

“Nooooooo, J’onn, you don’t get it,” pleads Winn.

“People _want_ to believe in the narrative of the evil Luthors,” accuses Alex.

“Public opinion won’t make a fair trial possible,” agrees Maggie.

“People _still_ think Macaulay Culkin’s dead,” says Kara.

“You are _not_ going to make me the bad guy here,” seethes J’onn.

“Well you’re kind of the only one who’s insisting we treat Lillian like a bad guy,” points out James.

“People! She’s still Lillian Luthor! Need I remind you all that she tried to exterminate countless innocent civilians?”

“But--” “She didn’t--” “She wasn’t--” “You don’t--” “Let’s have another game night and you can be there from the beginning--”

“Am I the only sane one in this room?” J’onn holds his head in his hands. It was a horrible fate to be Space Dad.

*****

Lena frantically packs a pair of suitcases. Then she runs to the bathroom, digs under the sink for a box of tampons, opens it, and withdraws passports, IDs, birth certificates, and a huge roll of cash.

_Nobody ever snoops in the extra-heavy-flow tampon box._

She grabs the suitcases from the bedroom and brings them out into the foyer, placing them by the door.

Lillian stirs from her nap on the couch. “Lena, what is going on? What are you doing with those suitcases?” She sits up, alarmed, as Lena strides over to her.

“That man who came late to Kara’s party, he knows, Mother. He knows who you are. We have to leave.” Lena waits a moment, then presses. _“Please_ get up, Mom.”

Lillian stares at her daughter, bewildered, but obliges her and stands up. “Leave? And go where? What are you saying, darling?”

“We’re going to Morocco. I’ve already made all the arrangements. Morocco doesn’t have an extradition agreement with the U.S., so you’ll be safe there.”

“What about you, Lena? You can come home, yes? That gentleman... he doesn’t know you helped me, does he?”

“He does. That’s why we both have to go.” Lena grabs Lillian’s coat off the couch, and digs inside for the kerchief and sunglasses. She starts to tie the kerchief around her mom’s head. “I’m sorry to rush you, but the sooner we--”

Lillian places her hand on Lena’s arm to stop her, and lowers it and the kerchief back down. “Darling. No.”

 _“Mom._ We have to.”

“No, Lena dear, we cannot.”

“Mom!”

But Lillian just shakes her head, her eyes soft.

“Fine! I’ll get us a place in Bulgaria! It’ll be a bit harder to swing, but I’m sure I can manage it. But we need to stay in Morocco until--”

“Lena. My darling girl. If I turn myself in, we can still find a way to secure your freedom. But if we go through with this, you’ll look guilty, just like me. You’ll be on the run, just like me. And I don’t want that.”

Lillian using the same words as on the drive up to Lex’s lair, but with such a different intention, out of love, not manipulation, hits Lena hard.

Lillian rubs her hands up and down Lena’s arms, trying to soothe her. 

“But we’ll be _together,_ Mom!”

“Lena. Here you have a career, friends, a girlfriend--”

“I don’t care about any of those things!”

“You _do_ care. You’re just upset right now. And I care. I want you to have those things. I want you to have everything.”

“I want to have _you,”_ Lena cries.

“Sweetheart. You will _always_ have me.”

“It’s not the same, Mom! You won’t be _here._ I need you here, I need you _with me._ You don’t deserve to be locked away, you’re like the nicest person ever now, except maybe to Alana, but-- ”

Lillian softly cups Lena’s chin.

“Lena. Being a good mother means taking care of you. _Your_ needs. _Your_ happiness. Not mine.”

“I can’t be happy without you, Mom. Not anymore.” Lena’s voice cracks.

“Lena. You will _never_ be without me. I will always be right here.” She places her hand over Lena’s heart. “Like E.T.”

Lena bursts into tears. “You remember E.T.”

Lillian pulls her into a tight hug. “Lena darling, I love you. So very much.”

“I love _you,_ Mom.”

They hold each other for several minutes, Lena sobbing, Lillian rubbing her back.

“Mom,” Lena sniffles, her voice muffled by Lillian’s sweater. “How do you know so much about Bulgaria? You’ve never lived in Bulgaria.”

“I found a portable TV player in a storage box in the closet. I love travel programs.”

*****

Morning light shines through the living room window. Lena stands in her kitchen, sipping coffee, gazing at a calendar hanging on the fridge. Seven of nine visible Saturdays have been exxed out in red. Lena turns down the previous two months’ worth, staring at all those red Xs, then lets go, and wipes away a tear.

Suddenly a pair of strong, warm arms encircle her from behind. Lena smiles, and leans her head back onto her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Alex wants to know if we’re free for dinner tonight?” asks Kara. Lena places her hand over her girlfriend’s and squeezes gently.

A _Bark!_ rumbles from the bedroom, and then tiny paws skitter down the hallway. “Zelda’s awake,” chuckles Lena, a second before a German Shepherd puppy jumps onto their shins, eager to join in the family hug.

*****

Lillian, dressed in an orange jumpsuit unbefitting a woman of her elegance, sits at a table in a small visiting room, her hands chained to the surface.

A prison guard in the corner opens the security door to let Lena in. Lena enters and steps toward her chair opposite Lillian. She catches sight of the restraints.

“Mom? Why are you--” Lena turns to the prison guard. “Why are her hands chained? What-- ”

“Lena,” Lillian interjects in a soothing tone. “It’s fine. Please sit down, dear, I’ll explain.”

Lena is still staring at the guard, waiting for answers, as she sits down across from Lillian. Lillian reaches out to her with open hands. Lena looks at her and immediately takes them.

“Mom? What’s going on?”

“Lena. I... What’s wrong? Have you not been eating?” Lillian asks, concern in her eyes.

 _“Mom._ Please, _please_ tell me what’s going on.”

Lillian sighs. “I... Since your last visit...”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t come last week. I had to go overseas on an emergency. I didn’t want to, I--”

“It’s fine, honey. I knew something urgent must have come up. I... I have something to tell you. After...” Lillian hesitates, and Lena squeezes her hands.

“It’s okay, Mom. You can tell me anything.”

Lillian takes a deep breath. “After my last therapy session, something... I had some flashbacks that night. And since then, I... I remember some more things as well.”

Lena’s eyes grow wide, and her breathing hitches as Lillian continues.

“I remember your brother. What happened with... Superman. I remember... _framing_ you...” -- Lillian shakes her head in self-disgust-- “...and other, terrible things. I hurt you a lot. I was far from the mother you needed, and deserved. I’m so very sorry, my darling.”

Lena starts to cry. Lillian brings their hands together, holding her daughter’s between her palms.

“Sweetheart. Please don’t be sad. I’m still here. I’m still here. I remember more of who I was before, yes, but I’m still the same person you’ve known these past few months.”

Lena lurches up from her chair, leaning forward, about to hug her, but the guard calls out-- “Ma’am. No embracing. Please sit down. ... Sit down, Ma’am!”

Lena reluctantly takes her seat, and cries harder.

“Darling--”

“I can’t even hug you, Mom!”

“Lena, oh child, we didn’t hug each other _before_ I lost my memory. At least not that I can recall.” Lena’s sobs become ragged. “Lena... please darling, please calm down. It’s all right. Everything’s all--”

 _“Nothing’s_ all right, Mother!” gasps Lena.

“Honey... If I was still free and running loose, if had never lost my memory... we would never have been able to come together. From what I remember, we... there was a gulf between us. All my doing, and I am so, so sorry for it. But now we are truly in each other’s lives, and I’m so grateful for that. Lena... I won’t be in here forever. And when I get out, we’ll be able to have the kind of relationship we couldn’t have had before. We’re _already_ having it.”

Lena tries to regain control of herself as Lillian rubs her thumbs over the backs of her daughter’s hands.

“So is this why you’re chained up like an animal now?” Lena spits out. “Because you’ve got some of your memory back? Because they think now you’re going to go on an all-out killing spree? From _inside_ a maximum security prison?”

Lillian gives her a small smile. “I think that’s the prevailing thinking, yes.” She continues, choosing her words carefully. “I do think there should be safeguards in place in case of an alien attack. But I can see that my previous methods, my previous vision... my outlook on others who are different... were... less than compassionate.”

Lena lets out a mirthless laugh. “I always clung to the belief that there was still good in you, Mom. Like Darth Vader.”

Lillian gives her a confused look. “Who is Darth Vader?”

“You’re kidding. You remembered E.T., Stevie Wonder...” Lena takes in Lillian’s growing smile, then chuckles softly. “You _are_ kidding.”

“I don’t want you to be sad, Lena. Let’s talk of happy things. Like... oh, when can I expect grandchildren visiting me here in the slammer?” She winks.

“You never pressured me about grandkids before.” Lena smiles too, calmer now.

Lillian shrugs. “I didn’t especially _like_ children before. I know that’s probably hard to believe.” Lena just stares at her, until Lillian cracks another grin. Lena can’t help but laugh.

“Two minutes, Miss Luthor,” calls the guard.

Lena glares at him, but quickly shifts her attention back to her mom, determined to cherish these last two minutes. Until next week.

“Mom,” she squeezes Lillian’s hands harder, “you’ve got to be on your best behavior, so you can make parole as soon as possible. I need you back in my everyday life. I need you back in the apartment. I... I’ve lost ten pounds. Kara eats _everything.”_

Lillian laughs, and squeezes back.

“Don’t worry, Lena darling, I won’t get into any trouble here. Someone already tried to mess with me, but...” --she glances around, and lowers her voice as she leans closer to her daughter-- “... did you _know_ they have _flies_ in prison?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who hoped Lillian wouldn’t ever regain her memory... I thought about that option, and in a perfect universe of course I would have wanted that, too. Ultimately I felt there would always be that uneasy feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I didn’t want Lena to always have to be worrying someone would find out and take her mom away from her, that is no way to live. I also didn’t want her to worry that her mom would remember who she was and revert to her old ways. Plus as an amnesiac, Lillian could only feel sad about something she couldn’t remember doing. I felt that her regret about that could only go so far in soothing Lena’s old hurts. Lillian remembering and being sorry can help Lena heal at a deeper level, at least in my opinion.
> 
> And Lillian is super smart, she is going to find a way to get her parole moved up somehow.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
